A Slave to No One
by cindygirl
Summary: [COMPLETED]He was free to roam the land. He did as he pleased until one day they captured him. He was taken and beaten to the point of almost dying. They wanted him to submit, but he would be a slave to no one. He had almost given up hope when she came an
1. Default Chapter

Chapter 1

For as long as humans can remember demons have ruled the lands, being an inferior weak race the humans were easy to enslave.

The humans were the lowest life forms on the face of the earth and as a result of that they were treated cruelly. They were used purely for their master's entertainment, always being beaten for anything that was wrong whether it was their fault…or not.

The demons didn't care, it was just one more thing that they had to take care of and they seemed to rather enjoy it. On more then one occasion they began to place bets to see if a human would survive an ordeal.

Some demons were exceptionally cruel as they worked their slaves to death. They never gave them food or shelter from the harsh winters that graced their lands. They whipped them in order to get them to work harder and when they couldn't work any longer they killed them and replaced them with another much younger human, whom soon would most likely suffer the same fate.

But some demons weren't like that they showed the humans compassion and treated their slaves with respect. They tended to the humans needs and provided them with shelter and food. In these areas you can say that the humans and demons lived in peace. Together they tended the lands and raised their young.

This was their way of life for centuries.

As the years passed the humans grew more and more frustrated with their cruel masters they were worked long and hard never getting any rest and little to no food for their labor.

All the humans wanted was a place to call there own and live in peace but for some… this was not meant to be.

One day a powerful priestess by the name of Kikyou developed the subduing necklace. She came to realize that when the necklace was put around the neck of a demon it would subdue them making them defenseless against humans by a mire word of their choosing.

Word started to spread around that such a necklace existed. Even the mere thought of such a thing made most humans quiver in fear at doing such a thing to their masters.

The demons were enraged, fearing that one if them might wake up with such a thing around their necks, so they set out to look for this priestess that could do them harm.

When they found her they instantly killed her, but it wasn't an easy task, for she was indeed a powerful Priestess. They had to make sure that no one would ever use the necklace to subdue the most powerful creatures of the land.

But unfortunately for the demons Kikyou had passed on the knowledge to others. Slowly the humans started making necklaces and began to pass them around to the other slaves as they met in different parts of the land.

Soon every slave somehow had gotten his or her hands on a necklace. When everyone was ready the humans started to fight against their masters.

It was a terrible war. Humans and demons alike died from the years of battle. The land was ravished, as the stronger demons set up barriers to protect their lands and anyone wanting to be protected from the war was welcomed to live there.

They let the war rage on the outside while they stayed safe in the containments of the barriers.

After many years of fighting the humans were finally free of their enslavement and it was the demons turn to be enslaved. The masters became the slaves and the slaves became the masters.

Demons were hunted far and wide then enslaved. The only ones that they couldn't touch were the one's who lived within the barriers.

When the demons were taken they were treated cruelly for all the years that the humans were enslaved. It was time for pay back and they got their revenge in the worst ways.

Even though the inventor of the necklace has been dead for a long time her methods were copied and improvements were made. The necklace now would not only make a demon submit to their masters but also took most of their demonic powers along with it. They were left weak and forced to do the heavy labor that the humans refused to do.

There were very few areas where demons stilled ruled over the land. They lived in peace and were free to roam the countryside. They were the lands to the East and West; a powerful barrier protected both areas. This prevented the humans from entering and capturing the weak demon children.

The lands to the North and South were ruled by the humans, where the slaves where.

The demons being held in enslavement were beginning to dwindle in number. The humans had to think of a way to breed them so that they could continue with their revenge, oh yes and have slaves as well. They developed breading centers, keeping the strongest males and all the females so they could provide them with new demons for slavery. It was a cruel way to treat them but the humans didn't care they needed workers.

Hunters still existed as they traveled to the forbidden lands to take demons as slaves.

The forbidden lands were the lands that were protected by the King of the South. No one was to go there and hunt for anything whether it was demon or animal. Punishment for hunting on this land was death, but the hunters didn't care they got good money for any demons they captured and brought back to the processing facilities.

The lands were protected by the soldiers who were loyal to the king and by a lone priestess that dealt harshly with anyone who trespass on her lands. No one knew who she was. All they knew was that she lived somewhere deep in the forest and protected all who lived there be it human, animal, or demon.

And this is where our story begins…..

On this day the hunting parties had returned from the forbidden lands with the catch of the day. One particular demon or should we say hanyou was the prize catch for the men. He lay on the floor of the wagon not moving. A sleeping spell had been placed upon him to subdue him while they traveled back to the training facility or more commonly called the processing facility.

He was a hanyou…yes, but a powerful one. They had been after him for a long time. He had been raiding the capturing wagons releasing any demons that they had caught for enslavement and led them to the safety of the barriers. They had tried everything to catch him but he always seemed to escape their traps.

On this day though they had come prepared, they had stink bombs that they threw to confuse him as his senses went wild. The hanyou didn't know what was happening to him as he struggled to get away from the foul stench that attacked his sensitive nose.

Then they threw the sleeping powder at him to subdue him. Once he was down they placed a necklace on him, loaded him into the wagon, and brought him back to the processing facility.

The facility was a giant building, which housed all manner of slaves for sale, from laborers to protections slaves and even demon pups. This particular facility was also known for breaking the most unbreakable demons and once they submitted to their taskmasters they were sold.

They had finally made it to the facility with their prize catch still asleep in the back of the wagon. They proceeded to unload the hanyou from the wagon, none to gently, as he grunted after hitting the ground. They picked him up and dragged him inside the facility where he was then taken to the upper floors to be conditioned. They brought him into a room with bars over the only window and threw him on the cold hard ground.

The hanyou slowly started to regain consciousness as he started to move.

The hanyou moaned as he rolled on the ground trying to get up. He slowly opened his eyes to take in his surroundings. Once his eyes were focused he saw that he was in a small room with bars. He became enraged and charged at the bars on the door hoping to break free from his prison.

The bars held fast and for the first time in his life he was actually hurting from the impact. He went down with a thud and looked up. The bars had not moved. He felt weak like something had been taken away from him, like all of his demonic powers. He almost felt like a human maybe a little bit stronger. He still had his demon senses. He could hear and smell anything coming towards him. He wondered what they had done to him as he tried to think of a way out.

He tried to stand but felt himself wavier, he had to lean on the wall for support and that's when he saw her.

She had short black hair and green eyes. Her body was lean and trim. She wore black leggings and a black tank top with black combat boots. She held a whip in her hands as she smiled an evil smile, "Well glad to see you're awake." She smiled extra wide for him.

The hanyou saw her smile and he just growled at her barring his fangs. "Oh, a feisty one." She said with a grin.

"First I will make you submit to me and then I think I'll keep you around for a while. You're very pleasing to the eyes." She said eyeing the hanyou from top to bottom with lust filled eyes as she licked her lips with desire

The hanyou had long silver hair, beautiful golden eyes, and cute little dog-ears that sat on top of his head in the middle of his tangled mane. He wore a red haori much in the same fashion as they had worn over 600 years ago. He was young but not that young that he couldn't be made to do whatever she wanted.

Kusco looked at the hanyou with yearning in her eyes. Yes, she was going to enjoy breaking this one. "So what's your name?" she asked in a seductive voice.

The hanyou just looked at her in disgust, he had no desire to engage in conversation with her so he crouched in a corner of the room and growled at her, while he flexed his claws.

She looked at his reaction and smiled, "When I'm done with you, you will learn to answer your master."

The hanyou became enraged at her statement and said, "You're not my fucking master wench! Now release me!" he ended his statement with a growl.

"Oh, you will call me master or you will die. You have caused us a lot of trouble in the past. Now that we have captured you, you belong to me. I will break your spirit and then your very soul. Once I've had my way with you we will sell you for what ever we can get for your empty, soulless body." Said Kusco as she tapped the whip she was holding in the palm of her hand showing him who was in control.

Her face turned cruel as reality finally hit the hanyou. He was never going to be able to escape from this hellhole.

"Tomorrow we'll start your training so I hope you'll get some sleep because you're going to need it." She then turned and walked away leaving him alone in the small room to ponder his fate.

oOo-

He awoke to the sound of chains being dragged along the ground. He quickly got up and crouched down in a corner of his cell flexing his claws in the process. They won't take him easily he will fight them with everything he had.

As they approached his cell he picked up the stench of that wench that was there yesterday, he growled deep and menacing, baring his fangs. Then all too soon they were there at his cell door. They unlocked it as five demons stepped inside with chains in their hands.

The woman came in after them and said, "Well are you ready for your training?" the hanyou only growled at her question. Then leaped in hopes of getting to her before they could subdue him.

Kusco saw what he was doing and simply said, "sit," as he fell face first to the ground unable to move. The demons encircled him as their master spoke, "Remove his regular clothes and put on the training ones, then chain him, he will need to be taught a lesson."

They did as they were told and removed the hanyou's clothing and tossed them aside. They put on a pair of old dirty training pants as they held him to the ground. They bounded him with chains around his neck, wrist and legs. When the spell started to wear off he started to get movement back in his body. He tried to stand but was quickly over powered and subdued.

"Bring him along." Kusco commanded as the demons grabbed the hanyou and dragged him down the corridor to the training room as the hanyou was struggling against his capturers to get free from their grasp.

The training room had no windows, what it did have was a stone pillar in the center of the room with a hook on top. They moved the struggling hanyou over to the pillar and lifted him slightly as they placed his chained wrist on the hook.

He was barely standing on the toes of his feet and he was turned so that his back was to his enemy. They moved his hair out of the way to give their master full access and then they stepped away. They knew what was coming and felt sorry for the hanyou. This room has broken tougher inu youkai than him.

The hanyou's heart was racing he didn't know what in the hell all of this meant. He could smell fear coming from the demons as they backed away from him. He knew it wouldn't be good.

Kusco walked towards a table and picked up her favorite weapon, the whip. She grabbed the whip by its long slim stem as she was gently caressing it with her fingers. She released the end of the whip from her hand, letting it fall to the ground with a thud. She gave a flick of her wrist and heard a loud snap.

She smiled as she saw the hanyou start to struggle against his chains. She was going to enjoy this.

"Now hanyou you are going to learn how to obey when you are spoken to." She flexed her wrist and the whip landed on his back.

The pain was excruciating but he didn't yell out. She continued to punish him and it hurt like hell. He could feel the blood running down his back as she continued to whip him as punishment for not answering her question.

With each hit she took great pleasure in seeing him wither under her assault. The hanyou never yelled from the pain she was causing him, this made her even more determined to continue his punishment.

The longer he remained quite the more she would lash out at him in hopes of making him yell out in pain. Kusco enjoyed hearing them cry out in pain. It meant the she was doing her job. But this hanyou wouldn't utter a word and this fueled her anger.

His back was a bloody mess as the lines of the whip marks zigzagged across his back making deep impression and cuts on his skin. You could see the skin split under her assault as the blood continued to fall down his back as it started to pool on the floor.

When he wouldn't cry out in pain Kusco used other methods to convince him to submit to her will.

She picked up a knife and walked towards him as he was hanging from his wrist in pain. She let the hanyou see the knife she was holding as she took the tip and started tracing an outline starting from his wrist all the way along his arm.

The hanyou winced in pain but still held his tongue. The tip of the knife dug into his skin as the hanyou just shook from the pain she was causing him.

She smiled knowing that he would soon submit to her as she continued her actions but he never did.

By the time she was done he was hanging by his wrist almost unconscious as she approached. She grabbed a hand full of his hair and pulled his head back, making his head tilt back in an unnatural angle as she looked at him.

He winced in pain as he saw her eyes, "Now tell me your name." Kusco said with distain in her voice.

The hanyou just closed his eyes and refused to answer. Kusco green eyes lit up with anger. She pulled on his hair making him bend even more digging the metal bracelets into his already bleeding wrist. It felt like she was about to pull all of his hair out. He yelled in pain but he still wouldn't answer her questions.

"You will learn how to answer when spoken too," said Kusco clearly enraged as he refuse to answer her questions.

The punishment continued for the rest of the day but he never spoke.

They dragged him back to his cell as they dumped him on the cold hard floor. The hanyou winced in pain as he tried to sit up but couldn't, so he laid there on the floor in a fetal position wondering what he was going to do.

With them taking away his demonic powers his wounds wouldn't heal. He was constantly bleeding from his back where he had received most of his punishments for not yielding to that wench. He wouldn't yield; he would be a slave to no one. He would rather die than be turned into one.

He continued to pant from all the pain he was feeling finally his body couldn't take it any more and he fell unconscious.

oOo-

The punishments continued for weeks. Kusco had tried everything she could think of to break him. She used knives, whips, fire, hot metals against his skin, glass you name it she used it but he still wouldn't break. She was frustrated to no end. Never before had she meet such a stubborn hanyou but she would break him or he would die in the process.

The hanyou was chained to the wall now. His dirty shirt was hanging loosely around his shoulder. They put him in an uncomfortable position to make sure he couldn't sleep. He had not been given any food or water in over a week in order to make him submit. But he was proving to be a tough one.

The hanyou knew he was growing weaker and soon they would break him, 'I'm losing this battle, will my suffering never end.' His thoughts were on his family as he drifted in and out of consciousness.

His father didn't know what had happened to him, he was sure that he would be searching for him but they could never reach him here. His wrists were hurting him as he thought about the day they had captured him. How could he have been so stupid, to fall for a trap they had set for him.

oOo- FlashBack -oOo-

He had woken up in his room that day. The day was going to be beautiful as the sun was rising over the horizon. The wind was gently blowing through his window as he saw the birds playing in the distance.

He had made plans that day to see his friend. They were going into the forest to play and if like usual he saw any slave capturers in the forest with captured demons he would free them so they could run into the safety of the barriers.

His father had warned him on several occasions to be careful because humans were ruthless in their capturing of demons. He may had been lucky on the few occasions that he had raided the wagons but they had other weapons that they could use to capture him.

The hanyou prided himself on his speed and cunning being able to outwit them when they tried to capture him. He got up and got dressed as he went outside in search of his friend.

He came upon Shippo waiting for him down by the gardens as they raced into the forest. He always felt at peace in the forest. He loved the feeling of jumping from tree branch to tree branch as they raced through the forest just having fun. They were having so much fun that they had failed to notice that they had left the safety of the barrier that protected the land they lived in.

Shippo came upon an object on the ground, it was a small box and it was very shinny, being curious to what it might be he went to investigate. He approached the box with care. His friend had told him many horror stories about humans and what they did to demons when they were caught and sold to be slaves but his curiosity was getting the best of him.

Shippo reached out with his tiny little hand and was about to touch the box.

The hanyou had been standing only a few feet away when he turned looking for his friend. He saw him about to touch the box on the ground and yelled, "Shippo! Don't touch that!"

He leaped and pushed the young kit out of the way as his hand made contact with the shinny box. Then a bright light filled the area and a metal cage came down over him effectively trapping the hanyou inside it.

The hanyou looked up to see he was in a cage. He got up off the ground and walked up to the bars as he put his hand on them, he yelled in pain as lighting engulfed his body and quickly released the bars.

Shippo seeing that his friend was in trouble tried to help but the hanyou yelled at him to stop and not to touch the bars. He told Shippo to go and get his father and tell him what had happened.

Shippo was scared, he didn't want to leave his friend but he knew he had to go and get some help. He turned around and was about to leave when a net was dropped over him and he was captured as well.

The hanyou saw the humans coming out of the forest. He saw them drop a net over his friend effectively capturing him to. He became enraged as he hit the bars with his body making the metal bend from the impact. He grabbed hold of the bars with his bare hands not caring about the lighting that was engulfing his body and was pulling the bars apart in order to get out of the cage to save his friend.

The humans were ready today. They didn't think that they would be able capture him in a cage, but hey, maybe the fates were on their side for once. They threw some stink bombs to confuse his senses as he tried to cover his nose and backed away.

Then they threw sleeping power in order to subdue him until they could get the necklace around his neck. They needed a way of controlling him until they got him back to the processing facility.

They saw the hanyou go down to his knees as the sleeping powder was taking affect.

Soon he collapsed on the ground unconscious.

The humans moved with caution. They knew that demons were devious and they weren't about to risk being killed and not reap the rewards of capturing such a prize. They would get good money for him once he submitted to being a slave but that was up to the taskmaster to do.

She was ruthless. She had broken plenty of strong demons over the years and this half-breed should be easy enough for her to break.

Once the humans were sure that the hanyou was unconscious they could approach without fear. They still kept on eye on him incase it was all a trick to make them open the door to the cage and then try to escape.

They made sure that they kept his little friend close in case they needed something a little bit stronger than the sleeping powder to subdue him. He wouldn't risk the safety of his friend since he had pushed him out of the way when the cage came down from setting off the trap.

oOo-

Shippo watched in horror as they subdued his friend by throwing sleeping powder on him as he fell to the ground unconscious. It was his fault that they had been captured. If he hadn't been curious about the box on the ground then they wouldn't be in this mess. He lowered his head as he started to cry.

Shippo was powerless to help his friend as he was trapped inside a net that he couldn't break. They put something around his friend's neck as they removed him from the cage and into a wagon with bars that was sitting off to the side. They threw him inside and he landed with a thud on the ground not moving, then they threw Shippo in the same wagon not releasing him from the net.

Shippo couldn't move to help his friend even if he wanted to. The wagon started to move as they carried the two away from their home never to see it again.

oOo- End Of Flash Back -oOo-

So here he was hanging from his wrist in pain, hungry, and tired. He wanted to sleep but the way they had him hanging they made it almost impossible for him to rest. Every time he would fall asleep the weight of his body would cut into his wrist, waking him from his slumber. It was a no win situation and he was losing. But he wouldn't give up without a fight, he had to find Shippo and they had to escape together to go home.

-oOo-

Inutaisho was pacing the floor of his office. His son had not made it home last night. His son always came home before sundown because he had repeatedly told him that it was dangerous for him to be out at night. He didn't want anything to happen to his son. He had a lot of enemies and he tried to protect his family as best he could. But his son always liked his freedom and now he didn't know where he was.

He continued to pace in his office; you could see the line of wear on the carpet as he continued to walk back and forth in frustration. He stopped his nervous pacing when someone entered his office; he was hoping to receive some good news. He looked up from the ground to see his sergeant of the guards coming towards him.

He bowed and said, "My Lord, we followed your sons scent and it led us outside the barrier. We found were there had been a struggle and by the looks of it he was captured and was taken away in a wagon. We found this in the area."

Inutaisho took the small bag that his sergeant of the guard had given him and opened it. It contained a sample of the soil taken from the area; he looked at it and then he sniffed it.

'Sleeping powder, this only means that the slavers have captured him.' His heart felt heavy with the realization of the news, he knew that someday they would get him if he continued to raid the slavers wagons.

He sighed heavily and said, "Please go and get Miroku, I want him here in five minutes." The guard bowed and left the office in a hurry to get the person he had requested.

Miroku arrived about three minutes later panting from running to his lord's office. When he entered his office he saw Inutaisho pacing back and forth. He stopped and looked in his direction and began to speak.

"Miroku, my son has been captured by the slavers. They used sleeping powder to subdue him and they have taken him away probably to one of the processing facilities. He was with Shippo so that means that the child is missing too. I want you to take a couple of your best men with you and see if you can find him. If you do find him make sure that you get him back. I fear for his life the longer he stays out there."

Miroku heard Inutaisho request as he bowed and said, "I will do my best to find him."

Miroku turned on his heals and left to go find his lord's youngest son.

Inutaisho looked on as Miroku left his office. He hoped that he could find his son. He was afraid that they would try to make him into a slave, but in order for them to do that they would have to break him first. He knew his son would fight against them and that was what he was afraid of.

His son was stubborn and he would fight them tooth and nail. He just hoped that he could get to him before they would break him and make him into a slave or worse that they would hurt his son for refusing to obey.

He growled at the idea of anyone hurting his son because if anything ever happened to him he wouldn't hesitate to wage war on the humans to the south.

Inutaisho had always treated humans with respect but he had no love for the ones that lived outside the barriers. Those humans treated demons with such crudity that he didn't harbor any ill feelings if he hurt them. He wanted his son back and that's all that mattered to him.

He had sent Miroku because he looked almost human, he hid his demon feature very well and with his spiritual powers he can disguise his men and they could walk among them as humans.

They have had concealment spell for a while now and only used them when necessary. They didn't need to go out into the human world because they had everything they needed where they were.

Inutaisho sighed as he looked out his window, 'be strong my son we are going to find you.'

oOo-

Hello everyone. I'm sorry for the long delay in the new story, but a lot has happened in the last couple of months.

First there will be no more editors' notes to the story. I'm sorry but my dear friend Jinx is not up to doing editors notes at the moment. We are sadly mourning the death of Mike who passed away in February 2005 of cancer. He will be sorely missed by all of his friends.

I toyed long and hard on whether I should change the story because he was in it, but as I thought about it what better way for me to pay tribute to him. The way I portray him in this story is the way the real Mike lived in life. He laughed and played but he was always a true friend.

So in tribute to Mike who is in this story along with Shawn I dedicate this fanfic in his name. He loved anime and he especially loved the Inuyasha series. I honor his memory and that he will live on forever in this story.

This is the first time that I will post a fanfic that is not completely done, so bare with me on the chapters as I get them done. I will post the chapters a lot slower this time.

I will post the next chapter depending on the review I get from you. I don't know if you would like this kind of story. It is very different from my previous two.

Leave me a review and tell me what you think. I look forward to hearing from all of you.

Until the next chapter!

Cindy


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Kagome was just your everyday teenager going to college. She was studying to be a doctor. She didn't need to go to college because she could heal just about anything, but it was her dream to get a degree so she went to school. The college did teach her some things she didn't know mostly how to heal with herbs and medicine, the more she learned the more she would be able to help anyone who needed it.

She lived on her families land alone and in the middle of the forest. She preferred it that way. She hated the city and living at home with her parents. They were always on her back about finding a suitor so she could get married and settle down to her duties. She kept telling her parents that when she was ready to marry she would marry for love and nothing else.

Her family's status made it almost impossible for her to find a suitable suitor. Many young men came calling but she had rejected all of them. They only wanted the power her family could wheel and she didn't want anything to do with them. Her parents had even tried to set her up with someone but she had refused that person as well.

Though she had many male friends the love just wasn't there. She had yet to find her soul mate but she was confident that she would find him one day when fate stepped in.

Her mother had also been after her for a long time to get a slave to protect her while she stayed in her house but she had refused. Kagome liked being independent and slavery was just wrong. No one, no matter who they were, deserved to be enslaved for the past mistakes of their race. They should all learn to live together in peace and harmony.

That was the day that she was looking forward to, the day where everyone could live in peace with no more slavery.

On this day her mother had convinced her to drive her brother over to the processing facility to get a slave. He was to get a slave about his age so that they could grow up together and the slave would protect him, as he got older.

Mother had lots of slaves though they were never treated as such. They lived happy peaceful lives with her, as all of their needs were met. They were free to roam the land and in return they worked the fields for her.

The lands were protected which meant that no one could come on the lands without permission but that didn't stop the slavers from coming onto their lands and capturing the demons that roamed free.

Her mother's property was located near the forbidden lands which the soldiers guarded making sure no one entered. They were under strict orders that they would shoot first and ask questions later if they caught any intruders on the lands.

Kagome had taken it upon herself to protect her mothers and the forbidden lands; she had placed seals all around the land that prevented the intruders from entering. She would go into the forest every so often to check and make sure that the barriers still held. If she encountered an injured animals or demons along the way she would help them until they were better and then let them go.

This was the life she had chosen. To protect all those who couldn't protect themselves and let them live their lives in peace.

Kagome arrived at her mother's house to pick up Souta to take him to the processing facility. The whole way there the kid couldn't stop talking about his new slave. Kagome got a disgusted look on her face every time her brother mentioned the word slave. She hated that word and wished that he would quit using it.

They finally arrived at the processing facility and she parked her car in one of the slots closest to the door, wanting a quick escape after they had finished their business here.

They walked inside to the receptionist and said, "We have an appointment to get a companion for my brother." Kagome said indicating the excited boy standing next to her.

The receptionist looked at her list, "Oh yes, Higurashi, please have a seat while I get someone to escort you." She indicated some empty chairs off to the side. They went and sat down to wait for their escort to show up.

They waited for about ten minutes when a female with short black hair and green eyes approached the sitting pair.

"Excuse me, my name is Kusco and I will be escorting you today, please follow me." She was pointing to the back of the room towards a door.

They both got up and followed her as she began to speak, "So you're looking for a slave about the boys age and you want them to grow up together so he can protect him when he gets older," said Kusco as she was looking over her shoulder while walking forward.

"Yes that's what mother had said she wanted." Said Kagome in a very dejected voice.

They went through the door and down the hallway to the elevators that would take them up to the floor that housed the demon children. They reached the 6th floor and started to look around at the different slaves. Souta walked up the hallway looking to see what he would like as he peered through the bars on the doors.

As they passed this one cell Kagome got a chill up her spine. She felt as if someone had touched her soul and was calling to her.

She stopped and turned back to look in the cell. What she saw broke her heart. There was a man with silver hair with his hands in metal wristbands chained to the wall. He was in an uncomfortable position as he was standing on the toes of his feet with his head down.

The hanyou slowly raised his head to look at the girl. Her scent had reached his nose before he even saw her and it had soothed his aching body. He stared into the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen.

They were as blue as the morning sky and she was beautiful. Her hair was the color of ebony. It was long and straight as it came down to about her waist. She wore it lose to allow the wind to caress it gently. She was wearing a pair of blue jeans that hugged her figure perfectly. She had on a white tank top that stopped short of covering her beautiful flat stomach.

Kagome heart skipped a beat as she saw his eyes, they were a golden color and he was a hunk. She smiled shyly at him as she looked to the ground. "Hello, my name is Kagome. What's yours?" she asked in a shy voice.

The sound of her voice made his heart melt. The hanyou couldn't help himself he didn't want to answer her question but his body had other things on its mind as he said, "My name is Inuyasha, ma'am."

Kagome giggled and said, "you don't have to call me ma'am, Kagome will do"

"As you wish." Said the tired hanyou as he inclined his head in respect to her.

'Shit! Why am I showing her so much respect? I've never bowed down to a human before in my life. They're all the same they only want to mistreat and torture us the way Kusco has been doing to me since I arrived here in this hellhole. She can't be any different from the rest of them.' Thought Inuyasha as he eyed the girl in front of him.

"Why are you chained up like that?" she asked with curiosity.

Again he didn't want to answer her question, he wasn't going to submit to this human bitch. But his mind had other ideas as he said, "It's punishment for not listening to the task master." 

It was like he couldn't control his mind anymore. If she asked a question he was compelled to answer her. He just couldn't stop himself from doing this. He turned his gaze away from her to prevent him from answering anymore of her questions.

Kagome was shocked to hear that this was a form of punishment; 'no one should be treated like this,' she thought as she looked at him with sadness in her eyes. His soul seemed to be calling for her as her heart went out to him. She got the look of determination in her eyes as she made a decision.

Kagome turned and walked away looking for her brother and escort.

The hanyou heard her start to leave and quickly looked up as he tried to follow her with his eyes until she was out of sight.

'Who was that? She is so beautiful; her scent gave me energy almost healing my aching body. Too bad I won't ever get to see her again. Wait, what am I saying she's a human and I'm a hanyou she would never be interested in someone like me and besides I'm a slave now,' he sighed.

Then the hanyou concentrated on staying on his feet so that his wrist wouldn't hurt any more.

Kagome found her brother and Kusco a minute later as her brother was excited about getting a kitsune kit by the name of Shippo.

She approached her brother as she smiled and said, "I see you have found a new friend."

Souta was very excited as he said, "Yeah! His name is Shippo and we have a lot of things in common."

Kagome kneeled down so she could be at eye level with the kit and said, "nice to meet you Shippo. My name is Kagome and if my brother ever hurts you I want you to come and tell me about it alright?"

Shippo looked into her eyes and knew that she meant what she had said. He smiled and said, "o.k."

Kagome got up from her kneeling position and turned as she walked over to her escort. "Excuse me, Kusco. I see that my brother has found himself a companion." She said smiling toward her brother.

"Well, I would like to get another one to take home with me." Kagome said with a smile. A smile that Kagome had to force on her face to get her what she wanted. She hated these people for what they had done to the hanyou.

"Sure, do you have one in mind or shall we go looking for one?" asked Kusco with a bright expression.

'This is going to be a good day if she buys another slave to take with her, maybe I can steer her in the direction of the more expensive one's.' She had a gleam in her eye as she started to think about all of the money they would be getting if she sold her one of the most expensive demons they had.

"No, I have already picked one out his name is Inuyasha. I want to get him, he will suit my purpose just fine." Kagome said with that forced smile.

Kusco just looked at her in confusion. "Can you remember where he is because I don't remember having a slave with that name," said Kusco as she scanned the list of her slave inventory for the name the girl had given her.

"Yes, I remember where he is if you would follow me, I'll show you," said Kagome as she turned around and walked back the same way she came.

They walked back down the hallway and when she got to his cell she pointed at him.

"That's him." Kusco looked inside and was shocked to see whom she was talking about. It was the slave she had been trying to break.

"Um, did he talk to you?" Kusco asked with curiosity.

"Why yes, how else would I know his name?" Said Kagome raising an eyebrow at her as she put her hands on her hips like a stubborn two year old. She looked like she was about to through a tantrum at all the question's she was being asked.

Kusco had to do some fast thinking she didn't want the girl to take away her love toy. She wanted him for her pleasures and she wasn't about to give him up. She had to convince the girl that she really didn't want this particular slave.

Then she got an idea as she turned to the girl and said, "You do know that he's a hanyou and not as powerful as the pure bloods."

'Good this will get her to change her mind no one ever wants a half breed.' Thought Kusco as she eyed the girl with interest.

Kagome looked at her and crossed her arms over her chest and with a determined look in her eyes she said, "I don't care I want him."

Kusco was shocked; she didn't know what to do, so she stalled for time by saying that she had to talk to her boss about selling the hanyou.

Kagome was getting angry she wanted to get the hanyou out of there before they hurt him anymore but they didn't want to sell him for some reason. "Tell your boss that I will pay the price of your best youkai for him."

Kusco opened her eyes wide with shock. 'That's a lot of money!'

She was about to answer when her boss answered for her. "Sold!" he said as he approached Kagome with a big smile on his face.

Kagome turned toward the voice that had just spoken, she saw a man in his mid 30's. He had long black ebony hair that came to about the middle of his back and he had it tied back in a low ponytail. His eyes were a deep brown almost the color of black. He looked distinguished as he walked toward her. He stood about a head taller than her and he was wearing a dark brown suit, with white shirt and yellow necktie.

"Hello, my name is Naraku, and I own this facility. I accept your offer and you can take him with you, please go down stairs and fill out all of the appropriate forms, we will get him cleaned up and ready for you."

Kagome smiled and headed down the stairs to complete the paperwork along with her brother and Shippo.

Kusco turned to her boss and said through gritted teeth, "You know we haven't broken him completely, it has only been a month and he doesn't obey orders." She said fuming.

"Calm down Kusco, when he escapes or kills her then we can capture him again and sell him to the highest bidder." He had a big grin on his face all he ever wanted to do was earn a profit.

"What happens if he obeys her and becomes a good slave?" She asked with her eyebrow raised.

"Well then we are just going to have to find a way for him to leave her huh." Now they were both laughing an evil laughter as they walked down the hallway together.

When Kusco and her boss separated she called for one of her minions, "Macho, come here!"

As she yelled Macho appeared in front of her, he was an Oushi youkai with horns on top of his head. He was big and strong and could easily subdue any demon in the facility if need be.

"Yes master," he said as he bowed to her.

"Get the hanyou ready he has been sold. Make sure he's cleaned up before you take him down stairs." She said over her shoulder as she was walking away from him.

Macho looked at his master as she walked away, 'she is such a bitch, one day I'll have my revenge,' as he sighed and went about his given task.

Macho walked to the hanyou's cell and opened it. He went inside and grabbed the chain off the wall as he dragged the hanyou out of the cell.

Inuyasha gritted his teeth as the pain shot through his body. He was being dragged into another room as he was thrown to the floor. The hanyou had no idea what was going on. Maybe this was just some sort of torture or more punishment for him as he laid on the ground panting from the pain in his wrists.

Macho walked toward the wall as he grabbed a hose that was hanging on a hook and opened the cold water. He pointed the hose at the hanyou as he washed off some of the dirt, sweat and blood from him.

Inuyasha had crawled into a corner of the room as the water hit him full force, it was cold and he was shivering as he had his back turned towards the Oushi youkai. When Macho was done he turned the water off then dragged the hanyou into another room and took off the metal bracelets. He gave Inuyasha back his haori and told him to get dressed.

Inuyasha was confused but he quickly got out of his cold wet clothes and into something a lot warmer.

When he was done the chains were back on and he was being dragged somewhere else when Macho spoke, "You have been sold and if you don't want to return to this place then I suggest that you listen to your new master."

Inuyasha was in shock he had been sold, 'who in the hell would want to buy me?' he thought as he was being dragged down a dark hallway.

They entered a brightly lit room that Inuyasha had to shut his eyes as he was thrown to the floor. He laid there for a few minutes, as pain went through his entire body, in a fetal position, wandering what else was going to happen to him.

He heard the sounds of footsteps coming towards him as he got up in a kneeling position with his hands in front of him for support as he sat on the floor with his head down.

Then he heard a soft and gentle voice, a voice that he recognized from earlier that day as he spoke to the girl with the blue eyes. There was an edge to that voice indicating that she shouldn't be messed with, as she said, "Why did you have to do that? He doesn't deserve to be thrown to the floor like a piece of trash. If you hurt him again you will have to deal with me you big jerk!"

Macho just looked at the human female as he got a big smirked on his face.

"As you wish." He said as he watched the girl go towards the hanyou.

'She must be worried that I have damaged her property. She doesn't know that the hanyou has received severe punishment from Kusco. She'll find out in time what Kusco has done to him.' Thought Macho still eyeing the girl out of the corner of his eyes.

Kagome kneeled down next to the hanyou as she reached out with her hand and touched his chin. His skin felt soft to the touch as she gently raised his head to look into his golden eyes.

Blue meet gold as their eyes locked and she asked in a gentle voice, "Are you alright? Did they hurt you?"

Her eyes were full of concern for him as he lowered his eyes not being able to look at them anymore and he responded in a low soft voice. "No, I'm fine, they didn't hurt me master."

Kagome smiled and stood up as she looked at the Oushi youkai in front of her and said, "Please, remove the chains."

Macho looked at her like she was crazy. "You do realize that if I take the chains off he will be free to attack you. It is unadvisable." He said with a snort.

Kagome looked at him with disgust in her eyes and said again, "I said remove them!"

Macho just looked at her for a few minutes then he pulled on the chains making Inuyasha cry out in pain as the bracelets dug into his already injured wrist making them bleed again.

oOo

Shippo had been standing there the whole time watching as his friend had been thrown to the ground. He looked hurt and he was a lot thinner than the last time he had seen him. He could tell that his friend had been through hell.

Shippo saw the Oushi youkai jerk his friend's hands up and he heard him cry out in pain. Not being one to stand around when a friend was in trouble, he quickly rushed forward and bit the demon in the hand. The youkai howled in pain as he looked at the kit with anger in his eyes.

Macho picked up his whip and was about to strike the kit for biting him.

Inuyasha seeing what was about to happen to his friend grabbed the kit to shield him from the blow. Inuyasha had laid his body on top of his friend as the whip hit his already bruised back. He cried out in pain as he continued to protect Shippo from the assault.

Kagome watched what was happening in front of her like it was moving in slow motion. She saw the little kit bite the Oushi youkai's hand for hurting Inuyasha. She saw the youkai raise a whip as Inuyasha covered the kit with his body and protected him by taking the blows.

Kagome saw the blood coming from the hanyou's wrist, the whip coming down and hitting his back and became enraged. Her eyes flashed a deeper blue as her anger took over. She stepped up to the Oushi youkai while he was reaching back to let the whip fly again and placed her hand on his chest as she blasted him with some of her miko powers. She sent the Oushi youkai straight into a wall as he slid to the floor unconscious.

"I warned you not to hurt him!" said Kagome as she growling at the unconscious youkai.

She reached down and picked up the keys to the bracelets as she walked over to the hanyou and the kit. She looked at the hanyou with concern as she said, "Inuyasha, are you all right?"

Inuyasha picked his head up slightly and said, "Yes master," as he winced in pain.

Kagome gently picked up his hand as she unlocked the bracelets. Her eyes went wide with horror when she saw why he had screamed in pain. They had pulled on his chains so much that it caused the bracelets to dig into his skin.

She had to be careful on how she removed the bracelets as they were imbedded deep into his skin. She removed them with care as he winced from the pain it caused him.

His wrists were bleeding and she saw him raise his wrist to his mouth and started to lick the wound. The blood soon stopped flowing from the injury as he continued to lick his wrist as a dog would lick an injury.

While Inuyasha was busy licking his wounds she removed the leg irons and saw the same thing. She was almost in tears when she saw the wounds he had. She knew he had more and judging by the whipping he just got for protecting the kit he had some fresh ones.

As Kagome got up and walked over to the receptionist to give her back the keys to the chains, Inuyasha quickly took the opportunity to talked to Shippo.

"Shippo are you alright?" asked Inuyasha in a strained and hurt voice.

The kit answer was sad dejected, "yes."

"Thanks for coming to help me but you must remember that you're a slave now and as such you must act like one. I don't think these humans will hurt you but be on guard alright."

Shippo nodded his head that he understood and got up from the ground. He walked over to the boy that was his new master and stood by his side.

When Kagome came back she leaned forward and asked in a gentle voice, "Can you stand and walk?"

"Yes master." Was the hanyou's weak reply as he slowly stood with his head down looking at the ground. His whole body ached as he moved but he would do anything to get away from this hellhole. Maybe after he got away from here and rested he could escape and find Shippo to go home.

"Please, follow me," said Kagome as she turned and walked towards the door. Inuyasha followed behind along with Shippo. They both finally stepped outside into beautiful clean air as Inuyasha inhaled what might have been his first clean breath in over a month.

They all walked straight to the car that was parked close to the door. Kagome opened the back door and motioned for both demons to get inside as she shut the door, got in, and drove away, glad to be away from that place.

They drove in silence as she headed towards her mother's house.

Shippo was in the back seat looking out the window in awe. He had never seen a human city before and it was fascinating. He wondered what many of the things were and figured that he would soon learn about all this stuff.

Inuyasha watched Shippo out of the corner of his eye. He saw him stare out of the car window as they drove away from that hellhole. He was glad that Shippo fared a lot better than he did in that place. He was in too much pain to pay attention to where they were going so he just closed his eyes and tried to get some much needed rest.

They soon arrived at a huge house as Kagome drove to a circle drive and stopped the car as she dropped off her brother and Shippo.

A forest that was thick with trees surrounded the house; it looked like the land had not been disturbed in a long time.

As Shippo got out of the car he stared at the house in aw. It was big and there were plenty of demons walking around the grounds. Inuyasha bent down and said in Shippo's ear "be careful, when I'm better I'll come after you and then we can go home."

Shippo nodded his head in understanding and turned towards the girl that was walking over to them. Kagome kneeled and said, "Remember what I said back at the processing facility if my brother ever hurts you, in any way, then I want to know about it." Shippo smiled and said, "Yes, I'll remember what you said and thanks."

Kagome turned towards her mother's house. She saw as her mother stepped out of the house to greet her son and his new companion.

Kagome looked over her shoulder and said, "Inuyasha, please stay here and wait for me I'll be right back."

Inuyasha inclined his head that he understood as he stayed by the car. He saw Shippo walk away with the young boy as they started to play out in the garden. He knew that Shippo would be well taken care of here. The scent of the place told him that the demons that were roaming around the property were well taken care of and they seemed happy.

Kagome needed a quick conversation with her mother about the demon she had just brought before she headed home.

Her mother was delighted that she had brought a slave; she now had someone that would protect her at night and this pleased her. She didn't care how much Kagome had paid for him once she was told what had happened. No one deserved to be treated the way they had treated him.

Kagome hurried back to her car to where the hanyou was waiting for her. She motioned for him to get in the front seat with her as they drove off towards her home deep in the forest.

When they arrived they both got out of the car and Inuyasha got a good look at his new home. It was in the middle of nowhere, deep in the forest, the smells he caught with his sensitive nose soothed his tired body.

Kagome motioned for him to follow, which he did. She led him into a room, which had a large hot tub and a stool in the middle of the room. She walked in as she put some healing herbs into the hot water that brought a wonderful scent into the room.

Inuyasha had been standing in a corner of the room wondering what she was going to do with him. When she approached him he backed up against the wall waiting for some kind of punishment.

Kagome placed a gently hand on his shoulder as she gently stroked his cheek with her fingers and said to him, "Inuyasha, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not like that. I want you to take off your clothes and wrap this around your waist." She said as she handed him a towel.

"Then take a seat on the stool and wait for me." Kagome said smiling at him. He looked at her with wide eyes as his cheek turned slightly pink.

He lowered his head as he looked towards the ground embarrassed about the blush that had come to his face and said, "Yes master."

Kagome smiled at him as she caressed his cheek again and said, "Just call me Kagome, I don't like to be called master."

Inuyasha was confused by the way the girl was treating him. He didn't understand why she was being so nice. She was supposed to be cruel and he was supposed to hate her with every ounce of fiber in his body but she was kind and this confused him. He heard her request and complied. He was careful to keep his guard up though, just incase this was all some sort of trick that she was playing.

Kagome then left the room to give him some privacy.

Inuyasha stripped his clothes off and wrapped the towel around his waist wondering why she wanted him to do this. He sat upon the stool waiting for her to return. The scent of the herbs in the hot tub was relaxing his tired body as it soothed his wounds.

He sat on the stool with his elbows on his knees and his forehead resting in the palm of his hands. His eyes were closed, relaxing for the first time in over a month. He was glad not to be hanging from the wall with those stupid metal bracelets on his wrist.

When Kagome came back she had on a pair of jean shorts and a tank top and her hair was up. She had soap in her hands along with some fresh clean towels. She had also brought some new clothes for him to wear. She set everything down on a table and walked over to him.

Kagome eyes grew wide when she saw all of the marks on his body. They were bruises everywhere. He had cuts on his arms, chest, and neck. She saw burn marks on his legs as she checked the rest of his exposed body for more wounds.

Inuyasha felt uncomfortable as the girl eyed his body. She saw all of the wounds that Kusco had inflicted on him and he was embarrassed for being so weak.

Kagome looked at every inch of his exposed skin, looking at all of his wounds, as Inuyasha sat on the stool in the middle of the room with his head down.

Kagome kneeled in front of Inuyasha and asked, "Inuyasha, who did this to you?"

Inuyasha couldn't answer, he was embarrassed for even having such marks on his body as he cringed away from her. He had to fight with all his might to keep from answering her question. Her aura was a powerful one and she demanded answer. Kagome asked again and he had no choice but to answer her. "Kusco did this to me for not answering her questions."

Kagome was enraged, how could she even do this to another living being. No one had the right to do this to another, no matter who they were. She got up as she continued to look for more injuries.

She couldn't see his back because his hair was in the way but she would soon take care of that. She moved toward the hot tub as she picked up a bucket and dunked it into the hot water. She made sure that the water wasn't too hot as she poured the water over the hanyou's head making sure that she didn't get any water in his ears.

Inuyasha went stiff at the sudden impact of warm water against his back. It soothed the ache he felt as she poured another bucket of water over him. Kagome grabbed her soap and started to clean his hair. She washed all of the dirt and blood out of it as she returned it to its beautiful silver color. Then she rinsed his hair making sure that she got all of the soap out of it.

She moved his hair out of the way and that's when she saw the whip marks on his back. This was the worst part of his body. 'He must've gotten all of his punishment on his back.' Thought Kagome as her heart ached to see what they had done to him. The wounds were infected and the blood was still seeping out of some of the wounds. She got a cloth with some warm water and slowly started to clean them.

Inuyasha winched from the pain as she cleaned his wounds. Throughout the whole ordeal Inuyasha kept thinking the same thing, 'Why is she doing this? Nobody has ever cared about me like this before.'

Her touch was soft and gentle as she continued to clean his wounds. Then he got enough courage to ask, "Kagome, why are you doing this? No one has ever cared if I have been hurt before."

Kagome stopped what she was doing as she replied, "No one deserves to be treated the way they have treated you. They have no right to do this to other beings."

Her words reached his heart; she was not like the other humans who wanted a slave.

"Then why did you buy me?" he asked in a gentle low voice.

"Because if I would've left you there you would've died and I wasn't about to let that happen." She returned to cleaning his wounds, making sure she got all of the dried blood out of it.

She gently put her hands on his back as she slowly ran her fingers down his injuries. She allowed her healing powers to wash over his wounds as she healed his back. For some reason he wasn't healing the way a demon was suppose to and this concerned her. She had to find out why he wasn't healing. Some of his wounds, she could tell, were weeks old.

The pain had stopped as she continued to move her hands down his back. A quiet sigh of relief was heard as she continued to do this.

'It feels good not to be in so much pain anymore.' Thought Inuyasha as he relaxed into her touch.

When Kagome was done she stopped. A whimper could be heard coming from the hanyou as she stopped rubbing his back. Kagome smiled and stood as she heard his whimper.

Kagome walked around to face him as she kneeled in front of him. She looked up into his eyes as she asked, "Inuyasha, could I please have your hands."

Inuyasha looked at her with curiosity and then he held out his hands to her.

Kagome saw the blood that had dried on his wrists she proceeded to clean his wounds as he flinched away from her in pain. You could hear a small whine come from him as she gently cleaned his wounds.

Kagome cleaned all of his exposed wounds. When she was done cleaning his wounds she applied a salve on it and then wrapped her hands gently around his wrists. She lowered her head and started to concentrate as her hands began to glow blue.

Kagome sent a healing aura throughout Inuyasha body to heal all of his wounds.

Inuyasha felt a surge of energy as he felt his pain go away. He had closed his eyes as he let the healing power of the girl in front of him heal his tired and hurting body.

When Inuyasha opened his eyes he was in shock, all of his injuries were healed in a matter of minutes. The pain was gone from his body and he actually felt good for the first time in over a month.

Kagome looked up and saw that he had a scar on his cheek. She reached up and traced the scar with her finger as she healed the injury.

Her hands were soft and warm. When she touched his cheek he closed his eyes and imagined what it would be like if she rubbed his whole body with her hands.

Kagome looked all over his body and noticed that she had healed all of his injuries. She was glad that she could help but she was tired. It had been a long time since she had used this much of her healing powers on anyone and she had to concentrate even harder to make his wounds heal.

Kagome slowly stood and wavered as she lost her balance and fell towards Inuyasha. Inuyasha grabbed her by her thin waist as he quickly stood and caught her in his arms.

He looked down and caught her scent again it was relaxing yet intoxicating. No one has had this much of an affect on him before. He had to keep reminding himself that she was his master and that he had to stay focused on that thought. But having her in his arms felt so right like she belonged there.

Kagome felt strong arms come around her waist as they prevented her from falling. She turned bright red from embarrassment when she looked up and saw that it was Inuyasha who had prevented her from falling.

Kagome smiled weakly at him and then said, "Thank you Inuyasha, for catching me I didn't mean to fall on you."

Inuyasha then released her as she stood on her own. Kagome walked back to the hot tub as she got the empty bucket to refill it with warm water as Inuyasha sat back down on the stool.

She took another bucket of water and poured it over him. Then she stepped in front of him and said in a tired voice, "I have healed your wounds, now I want you to go over to the hot tub and soak for a while. It will help you relax. I have put some healing herbs in the water to help you recover from your injuries. When you're done soaking I have put some clean clothes over there for you to wear." Kagome said as she pointed to the pile of clothes sitting on the table.

"Once you've dressed follow your nose to the food. I will have some for you." Kagome smiled and turned to leave.

Inuyasha reached out and grabbed her wrist.

Kagome stopped and turned to look at him and meet his golden eyes. They were the most gorgeous eyes she had ever seen in her life. They were alive as they stared at her searching for her very soul.

"Thank you for helping me," Inuyasha said with gratitude.

Kagome smiled and turn to leave as he released her wrist. She walked out the door and Inuyasha slowly got to his feet and went to the hot tub.

Inuyasha took off the wet towel that hung around his waist and let it fall to the floor. He got into the hot tub as he felt the water soothe his aching muscles. He allowed his body to relax and enjoy the freedom of not being in chains or hanging from his wrist.

As he sat in the hot tub he thought about the girl who had brought him. She was strange but at the same time she was beautiful. He was drawn to her and he didn't know why. She was unlike any human he had ever met. She shows concern for all and the way she blasted that Oushi youkai amazed him. She was a miko this much he knew but he didn't know why she had brought him.

He continued to think as his body relaxed then his nose caught the scent of something mouthwatering. His stomach growled, he hadn't eaten in over a week, which is why he felt so weak.

He got out of the tub and took another towel to dry himself off. He then went over to the table and saw the clothes she had left for him. There was a pair of black jeans with a red muscle shirt and shoes. He frowned at the shoes he hated wearing anything on his feet. He hoped that she wouldn't mind if he didn't wear them.

He got dressed and then followed his nose to that wonderful smell he was picking up. He came to a door where the scent was the strongest and slowly opened the door as he peeked in. He saw Kagome standing by a cooking fire making something to eat as he slowly walked in and stood next to the door not sure of what he should do.

Kagome felt his aura enter the room and she turned to him and smiled. Her cheeks started to turn red as she quickly turned around, 'he is so hot, he looks really good in a muscle shirt,' thought Kagome. She turned off the fire as she got some bowls and started to serve the food.

She walked over to the table and placed the two bowls there and then she said, "Inuyasha, why don't you sit" as soon as she said the word 'sit' the necklace lit up. Inuyasha fell to the floor face first as he let out a howl of pain when he hit the floor hard.

Kagome eyes grew big as she rushed towards him to see if he was all right.

"Inuyasha are you alright? What happened? Why did you hit the floor so hard?" Her eyes started to water as she realized that she was the cause of his pain.

The hanyou was grunting on the ground as he tried to answer her question. Soon the spell started to wear off and he was released from the floor. He slowly got up on his hands and knees and was staring at the ground with his head down. He was breathing hard from the impact.

He took a deep breath and then said in a pleading voice, "please, don't punish me again. I will leave if that is what you wish."

His words reached into the depths of her heart, she didn't know what she had said that made him do that.

Tears started to come down her cheeks as she tried to find the words to speak to him.

"Inuyasha, I'm… I'm sorry that I hurt you. I never want to hurt you. I don't know what I said that made you do that but I'm truly sorry." Kagome lowered her head as she was crying with heart-felt sobs.

Inuyasha looked up from the floor as he heard her words, 'she didn't mean to hurt me? Then she doesn't know about that word she said that activates the necklace.'

Inuyasha thought for a few minutes and then he said, "I know that you didn't mean to hurt me but you said the word that activates the necklace and it's a form of punishment." He said as he looked at her crying form.

Kagome looked up with tear-stained eyes and said through her crying sobs, "What… is the… word that activates… the necklace?"

Inuyasha lowered his head and said "sit."

Kagome's eyes grew big and then she understood they used the necklace to subdue the demons and make them obey.

'If they use the necklace to subdue them then it must be the way they drain their demonic powers as well.' She looked at him as she wiped her tear-stained face with the back of her hands as she asked, "Um, Inuyasha? Can I see the necklace you're wearing?"

Inuyasha nodded his head yes and showed her the necklace. Kagome looked at it for a few minutes and then she moved forward as she reached for the necklace. When her hand touched the necklace it picked her up and sent her flying into the wall and she fell to the floor unconscious.

Inuyasha eyes grew big as he saw what happened. He quickly ran over to her fearing that she might've been hurt while she touched the necklace. He picked her up and took her into the next room as he laid her down on the big pillows he found there. He picked up the scent of her blood and knew that she had been injured. He checked her over and found where she was bleeding. She had a cut on the back of her head.

He quickly went into the kitchen and got a towel and ran back to the hot tub, which held the healing herbs in it. He got the towel wet and then ran back to her as he started cleaning her wound.

The healing herbs helped and Kagome started to wake up.

Kagome moaned as she slowly opened her eyes and felt an immense pain on the back of her head. She reached up with her hand and placed it on the wound as she tried to concentrate. Her hands glow blue as her healing powers worked to seal the wound. When she got her eyes focused she notice the worried look on Inuyasha face as he was kneeling next to her.

"Kagome are you alright?" asked a scared hanyou thinking that she might think he did this to her.

Kagome smiled at him and said, "I should've known that they wouldn't allow anyone to remove the necklace once placed." Kagome sat up as she closed her eyes and put her hands together to concentrated.

The necklace around the hanyou's neck started to glow as he started to feel his strength return. 'Kagome must be trying to break the spell on the necklace maybe she will set me free.' Thought Inuyasha with excitement.

When Kagome was done she was panting and feeling drain. She had been able to return his demonic powers to him but she was unable to break the subduing spell. She looked up and saw Inuyasha sitting in front of her.

She took a deep breath and said, "I was able to break the spell that drains your demonic energy but I couldn't break the subduing spell. I did however changed the word and what it will do so you don't get hurt anymore. The necklace will only respond to my voice so no one will be able to subdue you."

Inuyasha couldn't believe that he had his demonic powers back he felt rejuvenated and almost healed. He heard her words and looked frustrated that she couldn't take off this blasted necklace.

He looked at Kagome and saw the tears running down her cheeks, she was crying again. He approached her with care because he didn't want to scare her as he reached a hand up and caressed her cheek wiping away her tears with the pad of his thumb.

"Kagome, thank you for returning my demonic powers to me. Are you hurt?" he asked with concern.

Kagome looked up and said, "no, I'm not hurt just tired. I'm sorry that I couldn't break the subduing spell but I did make it so that you don't get hurt by the necklace anymore." She smiled weakly at him as she said this.

Then she realized that her food was getting cold.

She started to get up and felt an arm reach around her waist to help her. She looked at Inuyasha and smiled as he helped her to stand up. She went into the kitchen to check her food and found that it was still hot. She smiled and said, "the food is still hot are you hungry?"

Inuyasha smiled and shook his head yes as they both sat down to eat.

Inuyasha was done before Kagome could even take a bite of her food. She started to laugh and then got up as she retrieved the pot from the stove and set it in front of him as she said, "I knew you would be hungry so I made all this for you."

Inuyasha eyes grew big as he started to eat his food with enthusiasm.

When they had both finished their meal the hanyou asked, "Um, Kagome? What kind of food was that? It was really good." Kagome giggled and said, "That was Ramen." Inuyasha made a mental note of what the food was called because it was the best thing he had ever eaten.

They both got up and cleaned the table off as they washed the dishes before they retired for the night. Well you can say that Kagome washed the dishes while Inuyasha looked on with interest. He has never been allowed into the kitchen before and what she was doing interest him.  
Kagome lead Inuyasha down a hallway and then pointed to a door on the right as she stopped and said, "this will be your room. There are clothes in the closet for you to wear. The clothes you were wearing are on your bed. They have been washed and pressed for you. You're welcomed to use anything in the room. If you need anything I'm right across the hallway from you, ask and I will get you whatever you need." Kagome said as she pointed to the door opposite his indicating her room.

Kagome smiled at him as she stepped forward and kissed him lightly on the cheek and said, "Good night Inuyasha sleep well." She turned and opened the door to her room as she stepped inside and closed the door behind her.

Inuyasha stood rooted to the floor. She had kissed him, albeit it was on the cheek, but she still kissed him. He raised his hand to his cheek as he still felt her warm lips there. He turned and went into the room that Kagome had given him.

It was a big room. It had a big bed in the middle of the room as he walked in to see everything. The bed cover was made of silk and it was of different shades of red. It had matching pillows that were spread all over the bed. There was a dresser to the left of the door as he entered the room. He opened all of the draws to the dresser to see what was in them. He found all manner of clothing that he could wear.

He spotted a door to the right of the dresser and opened it. He found formal and casual clothing hanging in the closet. He didn't think he would be wearing such articles being a slave as he closed the door.

He looked around and found a desk with everything he needed to write letters or anything else he wanted. There was a big glass doors off to the right of the bed that lead to the outside garden and to the right of that there was another door. He opened that one and found a bathroom complete with a big tub and shower.

Inuyasha couldn't believe the room he was given, 'I can't believe this. Slaves are not supposed to live in rooms like these. We are supposed to be miserable, cold, wet, and hungry from lack of care. But this female is not like that. She treats me as an equal and asks nothing in return. How am I supposed to hate a master like that? She hasn't given me a reason to hate her.' Inuyasha thought for a while as he tried to figure out the female, who was now his master. She had brought him here to this very comfortable home and let him share it with her.

Inuyasha was tired from the day's events. He walked over to the bed and took off his clothes as he placed them on the chair next to the bed. Then he went to the dresser and opened each one of the drawers until he found a pair of red sleeping hakama and put them on. He crawled into the bed exhausted.

He lifted his head and smelled the air. No one was in the house and judging by the way the girl was breathing she was asleep also.

He curled up on the bed as he rested his head on the pillow and closed his eyes. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep and get some much-needed rest.

oOo

Hi everyone I wanted to thank everyone who left me a review. You all have been wonderful. Your kind words have touched my heart and Jinx is really grateful too. It's nice to know that there are so many people out there that care.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter remember to leave me a review and let me know what you think. Again thank you all for showing your concern during this hard time for us.

Until the next chapter.

Ja ne! 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Inuyasha started to awaken. He was warm and he was laying on something soft. He was having the most wonderful dream. He dreamt that someone had brought him and that his new master was gorgeous. Those beautiful blue eyes were enough to satisfy him for now as he stared at her perfect body.

He liked this dream it was better than the harsh reality that he was in a cold dark cell. He had been beaten everyday since he had arrived there, his back was bleeding, and his wrist hurt every time he moved them. He had been given no food or water for over a week and he was afraid that once he woke up from his dream all of the pain would come back to his body. He liked it in this dream, so much so, that he didn't want to wake up.

Inuyasha's sensitive hanyou ears heard a noise coming from outside as he slowly opened his eyes and stared at his surroundings. It was no dream he was actually lying in a soft bed. His body didn't hurt anymore and he almost felt back to normal.

He heard the noise again as his ears turned toward the sound, it was coming from outside, and he knew that sound. It was the sound of an arrow fling through the air.

He quickly got out of bed and went over to the glass doors. He saw the girl from his dreams standing in the garden aiming her arrow toward the forest.

He sniffed the air but he didn't pick up any intruders. He quickly got dressed, putting on his red haori and went outside.

Inuyasha slowly approached the girl as she was concentrating on her target. He saw that she was shooting at a target that was about 150 meters away. Her aim was perfect as she hit dead center each time.

He admired her body as she was wearing black leggings with a red tank top and short black boots. For some reason this outfit looked better on her than it did on Kusco.

Her hair was pulled in a loose ponytail and when she reached behind her to pull another arrow her muscles rippled. She had a nice firm body and her ass didn't look half bad either.

Inuyasha growled with frustration as he turned away from her. 'What is wrong with me? Its like I've never seen a female before.'

He walked towards the forest and jumped into a tree. He wanted to think and being this high up always seemed to calm his nerves.

He looked at the area surrounding the house. They were deep in the forest with no one else around. He couldn't sense anyone else in the area. He sat down on the branch with his feet hanging over the edge as he faced the west thinking of home.

oOo

Kagome had awaken that morning to the sound of whining coming from Inuyasha's room. She quietly got up and opened her door as she stepped out into the hallway. She went towards his room as she pressed her ear against the door and tried to listen. He whined again and she opened his door very slowly as she peaked in his room.

Inuyasha was lying in his bed curled up in a ball. He seemed to be having a bad dream as he was shivering and whining. He kicked one of his legs as if to push something away from him as he whined again.

Kagome walked in and slowly approached his bed as she looked at him with concern in her eyes. He continued to whine almost like a hurt dog as he shivered even more.

Kagome slowly reached for one of his cute ears as she started to massage it gently. He stopped his whining and calmed down as she continued to massage and coo at him making him relax. She heard a gentle growl come from deep down in his throat as he relaxed into her touch.

She looked at the sleeping figure in front of her as the lines of tension on his face relaxed for the first time since she had met him. He had gone through so much that she feared that he would never be the same way he used to be.

The growls turned into purrs as she continued to rub his ear. Then she ran her hand down the back of his head and down his back. She felt as his body relaxed and fell into a deeper sleep finally released from his nightmares.

She pulled her hands away as she heard a small whimper and then he stilled. She got off the bed and left him alone so he could rest, but before she left she covered him up with a blanket and gently kissed his cheek as she walked out of the room and closed the door behind her.

Kagome went back to her room. She couldn't sleep any longer. She was thinking about all the things they could've done to him to make him cry out like that in the middle of the night. Her heart ached. She felt attracted to him but she didn't know why. It felt like he was the person she had been searching for all her life.

She was beginning to fall in love with him and this wasn't good. Her father wouldn't approve of her marrying a hanyou. She would just have to wait and see where all of this went. She didn't even know if he even liked her.

She sighed as she started to get dressed, dawn was approaching and she could get in some much-needed training before she went to check the land.

She hated the slavers and she protected all of the demons that lived here. She didn't want them to be turned into slaves the way they had tried to make Inuyasha into one.

She liked him the way he was. She could tell that he was very proud and stubborn.

She remembered the look on his face when she told him to take off his clothes and wrap a towel around his waist. The blush on his face was priceless. He did have a good body even though he was a little thin. She had reasoned that they didn't give him much food judging by the way he ate the food she had prepared for him last night.

Her heart ached as she thought about what she did to him that caused him to fall to the floor in pain. He had thought that she was punishing him but in reality she could never hurt him that way. His plea for her not to do it again was a sign that they had abused him.

She had tried to get the necklace off his neck but she couldn't. The spell on the necklace was strong and she needed to get stronger in order to remove it. But she made herself a promise that she would do it.

She knew once she removed the necklace that he would leave. That thought made her heart ache. She didn't want him to leave. She wanted more than anything for him to stay with her. But that was his decision to make, she wouldn't ask him to stay, it wouldn't be fair to him if she did.

Kagome finished dressing and went outside to train. In the back of her house she had set up a practice field where she could use her miko powers and her weapons. Her goal was to make it to the other end of the field with all of her weapons with her and in one piece.

The coarse was difficult and she had yet to make it all the way through but she was bound and determine to do it.

Kagome stretched her tired body, as she got ready. She mentally started to count down as she started the coarse. She used her miko powers to enhance her muscle as she ran with lighting speed down the coarse. First up were the arrows. They came at her in all directions as she took her sword and cut them all down.

She started to run again as the next obstacle came up. She used her legs to push up and jump the wide river as she made it to the other side without even breaking her stride.

She continued to go down the coarse as her next challenge came into view. It was a giant beast made of paper and straw that she used as target practice with her arrows. She hit her mark five times before she took off again.

The last and final obstacle came into view. She had to dodge several objects that were thrown, shot, or pushed in her way.

First she was assaulted with knives being thrown at her. She used her speed to dodge the knives as she continued to run.

Then came the guns as they aimed with precision. Shots rang out throughout the area as she used her miko powers to deflect the shots away from her.

Then came the boulder that was shoved towards her as she flipped over the boulder and continued to run. She made it past this and thought that the obstacle coarse was done. She had stopped just a few feet short of the finish line when a net came down and ensnared her.

Kagome was pissed she had thought that she had finally made it through the obstacle coarse and in record time too. She started to glow and her miko powers blasted the net away from her as she slowly stood up panting. The coarse had gotten the best of her again as she sighed. She would have to do better the next time and she must learn never to let her guard down not even for an instant.

She walked over to the archery range and started to practice. All of her shots hit dead center. This was good because there were still youkai on the land that hated humans but loved the protection of the land so they stayed there.

On more than one occasion she had to deal with the more difficult ones. Most of the other youkai's knew who she was and therefore left her alone but an occasional few thought to show their power and she had to bring them down. She hated to do it but she didn't have a choice. It was either them or her and she wasn't about to die any time soon.

Kagome felt as Inuyasha awoke in the house, she smiled knowing that he was feeling better today. For some reason she was well attuned to the hanyou and she didn't know why. She knew when he was happy, upset, or hurt. It was a strange feeling for her.

Kagome finished with her practicing and started to turn to go into the house. She felt Inuyasha's presence in the forest and he seemed upset so she went into the forest to find him.

She walked into the forest as she opened up her senses to find him. She continued to walk until she got to the tree were he was sitting and looked up. She saw his feet dangling over the edge of a tree branch as he sat perched high up in the tree. She wondered why he was feeling so down when she saw him looking towards the west.

'He must live in that direction that's why he looking that way.' Kagome sighed; she didn't know what to do.

She thought for a few minutes and then said, "Inuyasha, could you come down here for a minute?"

Inuyasha had been sitting in the tree deep in thought. He had been thinking about home when he heard Kagome's request. He looked down to see that the girl was standing down below looking up at him. He stood and then jumped from the tree as he landed gracefully next to her.

He looked at her and said, "I've been watching you train your pretty good."

That complement made Kagome blush a deep red. No one has ever complimented her on her training before. She looked up into his golden eyes and asked, "Inuyasha, why were you staring off to the west? Is that where you live?"

Inuyasha lowered his eyes to the ground he didn't know she had been so observant. He shifted his feet from side to side as he sighed and said, "Yes, I live west of here. My father is the only family I have and I know he is looking for me," he said with a sad voice.

Kagome took a deep breath and said, "Inuyasha you are free to go anytime you want. You can go back home. I won't stop you from leaving."

Inuyasha head snapped up quickly at her words she had released him from being a slave. He was free to go home anytime he wanted. This made him happy and yet sad at the same time. He couldn't leave without Shippo. Plus he didn't want to leave her at the moment. He had to find out why he was so attracted to her and why every time she asked him a question he would have to answer her. It would frustrate him to no end as he huffed being irritated at himself.

He looked at her and then said, "thank you for releasing me but I can't go home without Shippo. He was with me the day we got captured. I have a certain responsibility to protect him and I can't leave him behind."

Kagome considered his words as she thought. Then she said, "If I can get Shippo away from my brother I'll bring him here. Then you're both free to leave."

This made Inuyasha happy but he saw the look on the girls face when she said this. She would release him and she would get Shippo for him but there was something else there that he couldn't quite understand. Her emotions were hidden from him as he tried to read her.

Kagome shifted from the intense gaze that the hanyou was giving her. She knew he wanted to leave so she would do everything within her power to give him his wish but first she had something she had to do.

"Inuyasha, I'll get Shippo from my brother but it will have to wait for a little while I have to go into the forest and check the barriers to make sure they are still in place. You're welcome to come with me or you can stay here and relax, the choice is yours." Kagome said as she turned and walked away from the hanyou.

Inuyasha looked at her retreating form as she walked back towards her house. 'She's going to check on the barrier around the land. Hmm, maybe I should go with her to make sure nothing happens to her.'

Inuyasha liked the idea of traveling with her it made his heart skip a beat as he thought about spending some more time with the girl. He started to walk towards Kagome's house to wait for her to come back out so they can start on their journey.

oOo

Kagome was heart broken. She had known that if she released him that he would leave. The only thing keeping him here was his little friend Shippo. He wouldn't leave without him and she couldn't go and get him at the moment she had to check the land.

She was wiping the tears away from her eyes as she made her way back outside again. When she stepped out of the house she saw the hanyou standing there waiting for her. She walked up to him and said, "So, are you coming with me or are you staying here?"

Inuyasha looked at her and said, "Feh! I'm coming with you. I don't want you traveling alone through the forest. There are many dangerous creatures out there and I don't want you getting hurt." He said in a huff while he crossed his arms over his chest in an arrogant manner, trying to cover up his concern for the girl.

Kagome looked at him with a raised eyebrow and said, "I don't need anyone to protect me. I can take care of myself. I have done so in the past and I will continue to do so in the future." She stared at the hanyou for a few minutes then she sighed as she started to walk deep into the forest.

Inuyasha followed her, not wanting her to be alone in the forest. He knew she could take care of herself but the slavers were out there and he knew they would be trouble if she ran into them.

They had walked for most of the day in silence. Inuyasha followed by jumping from tree branch to tree branch as Kagome walked on the ground.

Kagome was in deep thought while she walked. 'I need to tell Inuyasha how to behave if we run into anyone deep in the forest. I don't want anyone to take him away from me plus if the slavers capture him he will be abused again. I can't let that happen.' Thought Kagome as she turned to look for him and said, "Inuyasha, could you come here for a minute?"

Kagome jumped as Inuyasha landed right next to her. She didn't expect him to be so close when she called for him. She sighed as she said, "Inuyasha, if we meet anyone in the forest you're going to have to act as my… ah… companion. I want you to obey if I ask you to do something without protest."

Inuyasha eyed her with curiosity then he said in a very devilish voice, "What's the matter Kagome can't say the word slave? That's what you're asking me to be right?"

Kagome lowered her head not willing to look at the hanyou. Yes, she did want him to behave like a slave but she couldn't bring herself to say that word. She hated that word with a passion and she will never say it.

She looked up from the ground as she stared into his eyes and said, "I can't say that word, its not right for people to own other beings. Yes, I'm asking you to act that way but only for your safety. I don't want anyone to hurt you. If they know you're with me then they will leave you alone."

Inuyasha eyed her and then said "Feh, I can take care of myself I don't need a weak human to help me."

Kagome became enraged at his comment, 'a weak human am I.'

"Well it was this weak human who got you out of that damn processing facility before they killed you, and it was this weak human that healed your wounds and don't forget that I also returned your damn demon powers to you. So the next time you go calling some race weak make sure that they haven't helped you in the past." Said Kagome as she was poking a finger in Inuyasha chest emphasizing each point to him with her finger until she backed him into a tree.

Inuyasha was scared he had never seen the girl this mad before. This only served to fuel his temper as he said, "I never asked you to get me outta there! I could've escaped on my own you know!"

Kagome looked into his golden eyes as she narrow her own then she said, "You know Inuyasha, you could be a real jerk sometimes." She turned her back on him and continued, "Your lackadaisical attitude will get us killed," and then she said in a whisper, "and to think that I was starting to like you." She walked away from him with tears running down her face.

Inuyasha just stood there he didn't know what that word meant. He didn't think it was a good word as he said, "Wait! What does that word mean? You just can't say something I don't understand and walk away from me like that!" He started to growl as he got back some of his nerve from being backed into a tree.

Kagome turned around and looked at him with tear soaked eyes as she said, "What's the matter Inuyasha you don't understand a simple word? It means uncaring, half hearted, laid back, do I need to say more?" She turned around and started to leave.

Inuyasha became enraged as he thought about what she had said, 'I do care why would I put myself through this if I didn't care.' He thought as he looked at her retreating form then he remembered that she was crying and what was the last thing she said? It finally hit him what the last thing she said as he rushed forward and grabbed her by the arm and turned her around to face him.

He looked into her tear stained eyes as he asked, "What was the last thing you said?" Kagome looked at him for a few minutes before she looked away. She couldn't tell him the last thing she had said, she just couldn't.

Inuyasha saw her reaction to his question and then he knew it was true she was having feeling for him as he was having them for her. He couldn't believe that she would be interested in a person like him.

Kagome tried to pull away from him but he just brought her closer to him and then he lowered his head and kissed her.

Kagome was struggling in his arms trying to break free when he shifted his arms around her to bring her closer to him making her body flushed against his. Her body was a perfect fit to his as he felt her relax into his embrace.

Kagome started to kiss Inuyasha back and his senses went wild. He licked her lower lip and she gasped as he took the opportunity and moved his tongue inside her mouth. He explored every bit of her with his tongue, as she seemed to melt in his arms.

He pulled away from her as he stared into her beautiful blue eyes and he said, "Yea, I like you too."

He was about to kiss her again when his sensitive ears picked up a sound coming from the forest. He let go of Kagome and she went weak in the knees as he caught her before she fell. He placed her on the ground as he started to growl at the approaching threat.

Kagome heard what he was doing and then placed a hand on his forearm as she tried to calm him. "Inuyasha, remember you're not suppose to be as strong as you are." Kagome said panting from the powerful kiss they just shared.

Kagome couldn't believe that he had this affect on her as she was trying to regain some movement back in her legs. 'Damn! Where in the hell did he ever learn to kiss like that? It was my first kiss and he made me weak in the knees.' She thought as she was breathing hard trying to get herself under control.

Inuyasha's growls became more intense as she saw the slavers emerge from the forest. Now she understood why he was acting the way he was, as she squeezed her hand that was still on his forearm to warn him to be still.

The men emerged from the forest to see the silver haired hanyou they had caught over a month ago in the forest with a very pretty girl. They smiled at her as she tighten her grip on the hanyou's forearm and then one of them said, "Is there anything we can do to help? We could take you home if you're not feeling well." Said the ugly one with no hair or front teeth.

Kagome smiled weakly and said, "No, I'm fine he'll take me home."

She looked at Inuyasha and then lowered her head and said in a whisper so only he could hear, "Inuyasha, pick me up and head back into the forest. I want to get away from here so we can follow them and see what they're up to."

Inuyasha looked at the girl, then he picked her up as he gently stood with her in his arms. He held her close to him as he turned and leaped into the forest.

When they had made it out of sight Inuyasha stopped on a tree branch and put Kagome down on her feet as he asked, "Why did you make me leave? I wanted to kick their ass for what they did to me."

Inuyasha was mad because he didn't get the opportunity to extract his revenge on the men who had captured him over a month ago.

Kagome looked at Inuyasha and knew how he felt but there was something not right in all of this.

"Inuyasha those slavers are way too close to my house. Usually slavers stay really close to the barriers so they can get away with their captives. That way they can just say they caught the demons outside of the protected lands and they won't get into any trouble. I think there is something else going on and I want to find out what it is."

The girl had a point they were way too close to her home and they were at least 20 miles from the boundaries to the land. They were up to something and now he wanted to know what that something was.

He looked at the girl and said, "So what do you want to do?"

Kagome heard his question and thought for a few minutes then she said, "I want to follow them. I want to see if we can find out what it is they're after. I have a strange suspension that it's you they're after but since I was with you they couldn't take the chance of capturing you. They won't leave any witnesses behind that can identify them." What Kagome said made sense as he waited for her to come up with a plan.

Inuyasha was thinking about this problem too as he said, "Well if you want to follow them then we can do it from the tree tops. They won't think to look for us in the trees."

Kagome smiled she liked that idea but then she frowned she couldn't travel that way. She was afraid of height and she was having a hard time just standing on the tree branch they were on. She made the mistake of looking down and got dizzy and started to fall when Inuyasha caught her in an embrace and held her close to him.

Kagome closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around Inuyasha. Then she said through clinched teeth, "I'm sorry Inuyasha but I don't do well in heights, I'm scared to death and it makes me dizzy just to look down."

Inuyasha just chuckled and said, "Don't worry I can carry you. I won't let you fall." As he said this he held her a little tighter as she snuggled into his shoulder.

Inuyasha heard a sound off in the distance as he held a finger up to his lips to indicate to her to be quite. She nodded her understanding as the men they had met earlier came closer to where they were.

Kagome just kept her eyes closed as she listen to see if they would say something that could be of use to her.

As the slavers were walking they were quietly talking with one another, "Do you think Naraku will give us a bonus if we get the pretty girl too. Man she's a fox what I wouldn't do to have her in my bed at night." Said one of the slavers that were on the mission to capture the hanyou.

The others agreed with his statement she was beautiful and they would do anything just so she could notice them.

Kagome heard their comments and turned bright red, 'Men can be such pigs. What makes them think that I would even notice scum like them?' she thought as they were walking by the tree they were standing in.

One of the other men in the group said, "Well he should give us a bonus but not for the girl, that hanyou is going to be a tough one to catch. The way he was protecting the girl means they must've turned him into a good slave."

All of the men agreed with that statement then another said, "Kusco could break any demon. She has in the past that's why that facility is known for breaking the unbreakable, either she breaks them or they die its that simple."

Inuyasha started to growl at what the men were saying.

The men had stopped, thinking they had heard something in the forest as they started to search for the source of the noise.

Kagome realized what was happening and before they would spot them she quickly kissed Inuyasha to stop him from growling and let the slavers just continue to walk past them.

Inuyasha was enjoying the kiss he was getting from Kagome as he wrapped his arms around her even more to bring her closer to him. He was gently caressing her back as his hand slipped under her shirt and he was rubbing her bare skin with his hands. It was very soft to the touch and Kagome was beginning to moan from what they were doing. He pulled away from her for lack of oxygen as they were both panting from what they had shared.

He looked into her eyes as they were glazed over with want. He wanted to continue then she said in a low voice, "Inuyasha, we have to get back to my house. We need to set a trap for those slavers. I don't want them coming after you even when you leave."

Kagome's chest was heaving as she spoke. Inuyasha saw the hurt in her eyes as she said this, she didn't want him to leave and this pleased him because he didn't want to leave her either. He turned around and offered his back to her and said, "get on Kagome, we can travel faster if I carry you. We will beat them back to your house then we can plan on what to do."

Kagome nodded her understanding and got on his back. He held her tight around her legs as she grabbed onto his shoulder and lowered her head there. She closed her eyes not wanting to see where he was going because she was still afraid of heights.

Inuyasha stood once he felt her securely on his back. He raced through the forest, jumping from tree branch to tree branch, on his way back to her house. His mind was racing with what to do. He wanted to stay with Kagome but he knew that his father would be looking for him. He also knew that his father wouldn't hesitate to wage war on the humans if he even thought they had hurt him. He continued this train of thought until he reached Kagome's home.

He lowered himself to the ground and allowed the girl to get off his back. They walked inside the house as they made plans for their unexpected guest.

oOo

Kagome was in her room; she was getting ready for the battle ahead. No one in her family knew that she is a miko. They knew that a miko was protecting the land from intruders and that she was keeping everyone safe but they had no idea that it was their daughter.

She would have to tell Inuyasha though because the next time he saw her she wouldn't look like she did now. She had a concealment spell that changed her appearance and she even managed to change her scent when she transformed which protected her even more.

She was afraid that Inuyasha would attack her because he might think that she's working with the slavers to capture him. She didn't want to hurt him so she had to tell him the truth.

Kagome looked up into the sky, it was getting dark, and she sighed as she turned around heading for the door to her room.

oOo

Inuyasha was in his room thinking. They had made plans on what they were going to do when the slavers got there. He was to be the bait, as he would try to protect Kagome. He was to make them tell him why they were after him so that Kagome could get the information. They would make sure that the slavers never took any more demons from this land. He didn't know how Kagome would relay the information to the right people but he knew that she would think of something.

He knew he would have to leave even if it was for just a little while and this pained him. He had to take Shippo home and he had to speak to his father. He wanted to return to her but he had to make sure that his father wouldn't attack this land looking for him.

He noticed that a lot of humans treat their slaves with respect and they were well cared for. There were only a few humans who deserved his father's wrath and Kagome was not one of them.

She had asked him to behave like a slave for his safety. She didn't want them to take him back to the processing facility and to be honest he didn't want to go back there either.

He had to tell Kagome why those slavers were after him. She had the right to know that if their plan failed what they were going to do with him. Especially what Kusco was going to do to him, he shuttered at the thought.

He built up his courage and then headed towards his door as he reached it he opened it and stepped out into the hallway. He prepared himself for what he had to do and then he knocked on Kagome's door.

oOo

Kagome had almost reached her door when she heard a soft knock. She reached for the handle as she opened it and there stood Inuyasha with his head and ears down. She looked at him with concern and then she asked in a gentle voice, "Inuyasha is something wrong?"

Inuyasha took a deep breath and then said, "Can I come in? We need to talk."

Kagome stepped aside and allowed him to enter her room as she went to sit on her bed and Inuyasha sat on the floor in front of her. She waited to see what so important that he wanted to speak with her when she heard him take a deep breath and begin.

"Kagome I have to tell you why the slavers are after me. Kusco, the taskmaster, is the one who is after me. The day I arrived at the processing facility she had said that she would make me submit to her. She doesn't know how close she came to breaking me when you showed up and got me out of there."

Inuyasha took another deep breath and continued before he lost his nerve. "She said that she wanted me for her own, that I was… that I was pleasing to the eyes.

Kagome I can't do that. Inu Youkai mate for life and if I do that with her then I can never leave. I will be doomed to a life of misery and I will never be free. I wanted you to know that if anything goes wrong tonight and they do capture me again that I'll probably be dead by the time you find me because I will not allow myself to be mated to such a evil person."

Kagome's eyes grew big as he spoke of his fears. She never knew how close that evil bitch was to breaking him or even killing him when she showed up and got him out of there. Tears started to come down her cheeks as she sat on the floor in front of him and she put a gentle hand on his cheek.

Inuyasha looked up as he felt her warm touch. He saw the tears coming down her face as he looked away in shame knowing that he had been the cause of her tears. But she had to know, she had the right to know what would happen if their plan failed tonight.

"Inuyasha, I promise you that I will not let the slavers take you away. I'm not about to lose you after I saved you from that life. It pains me that they would do these things to demons. They have no right. For years we have been working to change the minds of the people so that they will treat slaves with respect and protect them. Eventually we will set them all free and then we will live together in peace but for now I must continue my silent fight for them to be treated fairly." Kagome said as she continued to rub his cheek in a loving way.

"But I also have something to say to you and I want your promise not to tell anyone. My parents don't even know of my secret and I would like to keep it that way." She eyed him to see if she had his attention. She saw his ears perk up as they turned towards her listening to everything she had to say.

Kagome took a deep breath and then said, "I know that you are aware that I'm a miko. My parents have no knowledge of this. They think of me as a weak female that needs protecting, that's why my mother has been after me to get a companion. She thinks that if I have one I will be protected from any harm."

Kagome watched as Inuyasha raised his head to look at her. He was shocked at what she had said but she continued. "They know of a miko that lives in this forest that protects the land from any intruders. They think that she is just a person who is interested in protecting the land and everything in it. Even though there reasoning is correct they have no idea that it's me who's doing this.

I have a concealment spell that hides my features and my scent to protect who I am. If anyone was to find out then my family and I could be in danger. There are a lot of people out there that hate me for what I am doing, so for this reason I hide my identity."

Inuyasha didn't know what to say. He had thought that it was common knowledge that she was a miko. He couldn't understand why she was keeping this a secret as he said, "Kagome I don't understand, why would you want to keep this a secret? You're very powerful for a miko and you're protecting this land on your own."

Kagome looked at him and laughed, "Inuyasha there are a lot of things that you don't know about me and in time I will tell you, but for now will you keep my secret and not let it slip by calling my name in battle if you see me in danger."

Inuyasha lowered his head and then said, "I promise to keep your secret but in time you will have to tell me more about yourself and I promise to tell you the same."

Kagome smiled and agreed to his request. They both stood up from the floor and then Inuyasha asked, "Um, Kagome, what do you look like when the concealment spell is placed?"

Kagome smiled as she closed her eyes and then started to concentrate. Her whole body glowed an eerier white as she started to change.

Inuyasha eyes grew big as he saw her transform before his eyes.

Kagome hair went from ebony to silver just like his. Her hair was shorter; it came down to about her shoulders. Her features changed just a little to hide who she was. She had higher cheekbones and rounder lips. She wore a white kimono and on her back was a quiver of arrows and a bow was on her shoulder. When she opened her eyes they were still the mesmerizing blue that he had grown to love.

Her scent was different too instead of smelling like Jasmine and honey she smelled like wildflowers.

He took a cautious step towards her and she giggled at his reaction in seeing her transform. You could see his nose twitching from side to side as he took in her scent.

Then he said, "You have learned to change your features and your scent but there is only one way I can tell if it's the real you."

Kagome raised an eyebrow at him and said, "and how can you tell if it's really me if my appearance and scent are different." This irritated her because she had worked long and hard on this spell to make sure no one could tell it was her.

Then she got her answer as he leaned in and kissed her with such passion that it left her weak in the knees, again.

Inuyasha smiled as he pulled away from her and then he said, "you may have changed your appearance and your scent but you still taste the same to me."

Kagome couldn't believe that this was the way he could tell it was her, she blushed a deep red from his comments. She pulled away from his embrace and stepped away from him and said, "Inuyasha your impossible. Do you really think that I would allow anyone to get that close to me as to kiss me the way that you did?"

Inuyasha huffed as he crossed his arms across his chest as he said, "Well I hope not, your kisses are for me to enjoy and no one else."

'How dare he think that he can have his way with me any time he wants. He might have been my first kiss but it doesn't make him my suitor or that I would marry him.' Thought Kagome as her eyes were burning with anger.

They were about to get into one of their arguments when Inuyasha ear picked up a sound coming from the garden. He held up a hand to tell Kagome to be quit as he listened.

The slavers had arrived and it was time to put their plan into action.

oOo

All right, I have been asked a question that needs to be answered. They asked me what happened to Miroku. Well Miroku will come in a later chapter. Along with two new characters that I created for this story, it will go back in time so you can see what was happening when they captured Inuyasha.

This story will do this because I need you to see it from different points of view after a certain scene. So bear with me, oh and if anyone even noticed Miroku is a demon in this fic. He is a very special demon. You have to wait to see what kind of demon he really is. Nothing seems, as it should be so there is a twist to my story.

So that being said, I hope you liked this chapter and remember to review. I like hearing from all of you.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The slavers had finally made it to their destination. They have been traveling all day to get to where that pretty girl, that they had seen in the forest, lived.

They had their instructions on what they were supposed to do.

Naraku and Kusco wanted the hanyou back, but since they had found him in the forest with the girl and he had protected her that meant that he had taken to being a slave pretty well.

Of course this left them with no choice they had to go and get him and bring him back to the processing facility.

Kusco was going to be happy once she received him back. She has been a real bitch since she had to sell him to the girl. They only hoped that this would please her and that she would get off their back about capturing more demons for the facility.

It was getting harder to capture demons. Most of them kept themselves safely behind the barrier that protected the demons land.

The forbidden lands were too well protected for any outsiders to come in and take the demons that lived there. The soldiers where ruthless and they would shoot anyone found on the land that didn't belong there.

The only other demons that they could take were here in the protected lands and it was dangerous to come here to hunt. On several occasions they had met, and escaped with their lives, the priestess who protects this land. She is powerful and she doesn't like trespassers. So they were a little uneasy about being this deep in her territory to get a hanyou that has been turned into a slave.

From what they have heard, the girl that owned him now, was nothing special. She had paid a lot of money for him but that didn't mean anything. Plenty of people would pay outrageous prices for demons if they wanted them bad enough.

To them the hanyou was a good catch. They had gotten a lot of money for capturing him the first time and now they were about to get paid again for bringing him back to the facility.

The last time they had caught him they had it easy because he was trapped in a cage. This time they had to deal with him being loose. He had the necklace around his neck so he should be weaker than before but this didn't sit well with them.

Then one of the slavers had a thought, "Hey guys how about we sneak in and get the girl while a couple of us keep the hanyou busy. That way we have something to subdue him with. We know we can't use the necklace on him as long as the girl is alive so we can use the girl to get to him."

The other slavers looked at their friend and then they all smiled. This plan could work, now for the hard part. Who was going to keep the hanyou busy while the others go in and get the girl?

oOo-

Inuyasha sat outside in the garden like they had planned he would. The idea was for the slavers to go after him and leave Kagome alone. He hoped that the plan would work because he didn't want anything to happen to Kagome.

Inuyasha's ear twitched towards the forest as he heard someone approaching. He continued to sit there like he hadn't notice as they came closer to him.

Kagome was in the house looking out through a dark window at what was happening outside. She saw Inuyasha ear twitch towards the forest as a signal that the slavers were coming. She sensed only three of the men going towards him as she concentrated to find the rest. Her breath hitched as she sensed that two of the men were heading towards the house.

'They must be after me, that's why they have split up. They want to use me against Inuyasha.' Kagome had to think on what to do, this was a new development and she didn't think that Inuyasha knew about it.

She steadied herself as she gently said, "Inuyasha?" She saw his ears twitch towards her and she knew that he had heard her. "Inuyasha, two of the slavers are heading towards the house, I think they want to capture me so they can subdue you. They're approaching from the east so get up and head in that direction while I sneak out of the house and join you."

She saw him get up from where he was sitting and made his way towards the two that were trying to sneak into the house.

Inuyasha picked up the scent of the intruders as he started to growl to warn them to get away from the house. He also caught the scent of the other three that had been trying to sneak up on him as they made their way towards their friends.

Kagome was now on the outside of the house as she saw Inuyasha in a crouch position in front of the house, he was growling at the intruders. She made her way to the other side of the house undetected as she listened from the forest. They needed to get some evidence on them on why they wanted to capture him and who was behind all of this so they could use it against them.

Inuyasha had crouched in front of the house as the slavers made themselves known to him. His ears were down as he was growling indicating his mood. He was not happy about being out in the open with the five of them but he had to protect Kagome and they had to follow the plan if they were to get rid of these fools.

The slavers came out of the forest. Some how the hanyou had known that they were there and he would not allow them to enter the house. This changed everything so they opted to go and try to capture him.

The slaver in the middle of the group looked at the hanyou and then said, "So we meet again. Now why don't you come with us and no one will get hurt."

Inuyasha just growled and said, "No! My master needs to be protected and that's what I'm going to do." He bared his fangs to his enemy as he stood his ground.

The slavers just laughed and said, "You know, Kusco has missed you since you were sold. She hasn't been the same since that day. She and Naraku want you back at the processing facility."

Inuyasha continued to growl as he said, "Why? They wanted me to be a good slave and this is what I've become. I won't leave my master to go back there. I will protect her with my life."

Inuyasha flexed his claws showing them that he meant business then he said, "Why do they want me? I thought they only wanted to make a profit by selling demons to humans. So why do they want me back?"

The slavers looked at each other as the one in the middle said, "Well they figured since they had gotten such a good price for you that they could sell you again, that's after Kusco get through with you of coarse." The slavers laughed as they saw Inuyasha flinch at what they had said.

Kagome had been in the forest this whole time listening and recording everything they were saying. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number. She started to speak to the other person on the line as she told them what she wanted. When she was done with her conversation she had a smirk on her face, as it was time that she joined the little party that Inuyasha was having.

The slavers reached into their pockets and pulled out the stink bombs they had used a month ago on the hanyou. They threw it at him as Inuyasha moved out of the way. Several of the slavers saved their stink bombs and saw where he had landed and threw it in his direction. They burst in front of Inuyasha as his senses went wild. He couldn't breath as he fell to his knees and the memories of what happened a month ago started to play out in his mind again.

Kagome saw when they threw stink bombs at Inuyasha, as he moved out of the initial throw. She followed his movements and that of the slavers as they threw more at him where he had landed. She saw him hit the ground when the effects of the bombs took over. The slavers started to approach the hanyou on the ground with sleeping powder in their hands.

They were about to throw it when a female voice said, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

The slavers stopped their approach on the hanyou as they turned toward the new voice. The priestess came out of the forest as she approached the hanyou on the ground. She looked down at him as he was trying to breath from the effects of the stink bombs they had thrown at him.

The priestess looked at the slavers and said, "Why have you attacked him? He is not a free demon that roams around this land. He is a slave to the girl that lives here and I know for a fact that she treats him well so why are you after him?"

The word slave had left a bad taste in Kagome's mouth she hated that word but she had to use it as long as the girl that lived here refused to say it. It was the only way to keep her identity a secret to all those who might make a connection between the priestess and the girl that was suppose to be in the house.

The priestess kneeled down and she placed her hand on the hanyou's back as she healed his senses from the effects of the stink bombs.

The slavers didn't know what to do. The priestess that protects the land was in front of them. She was healing the hanyou, soon the effect of the stink bombs will be lifted from his body and he will be free to attack.

They had no choice they had to take out the priestess if they wanted to capture the hanyou before he has totally recovered. They readied their sleeping powered as they threw them at her hoping that they could capture her along with the hanyou.

Kagome sensed what they were about to do and placed a barrier around her and Inuyasha. The sleeping power landed against the barrier and was sent back towards the slavers. The slavers saw the sleeping powder heading back towards them and quickly got out of the way before they fell under its influence.

The priestess stood as she walked towards them and said, "I won't be so easily captured. You come on my land and take what doesn't belong to you and then you mistreat the demons at the processing facility. How dare you think that I will allow this to continue!"

Kagome held her hands up as she placed a barrier around the slavers that effectively trapped them inside.

Inuyasha was starting to stir as his senses came back to normal, as he slowly started to stand. He looked at the slavers and noticed that the priestess had trapped them inside a barrier. He looked at her and then decided to play the part of a slave as he growled at her and lowered his ears as if she were an intruder to his home.

Kagome looked away from the slavers as she heard Inuyasha's growls. She thought that he had detected more danger when she noticed that he was growling at her with his ears down, ready to attack. Kagome looked confused for a minute as she tried to step towards him.

Inuyasha didn't want to hurt the priestess but if it would keep their story that she was a stranger to him then he would pretend to attack her.

His growls became more menacing than before as he crouched near the house ready to defend it and the person inside. His actions caused Kagome to stop her advance.

Kagome knitted her eyebrows together in thought as she looked at the hanyou and saw the gleam in his eyes. She now knew that he was playing the part of protector and slave. She had to make it look convincing that she was a stranger to him and that she meant him no harm.

"Hanyou, I will not harm you. I only wish to help you and your mistress. As you can see the slavers are contained and they won't take you away from here." Kagome started to walk towards him again as she cooed and spoke softly to him.

Her voice had a mellowing affect on him that he didn't know what was happening as Kagome came closer to him. She finally reached him as she put her hand on his ear and gently massaged it to calm him down.

Inuyasha eyes grew wide and then closed as he felt her gentle touch. It felt really good and he started a low and deep growl in his throat as she continued with her actions. She continued until she heard the sound of cars coming towards the house. She released the hanyou's ear and then left before company arrived.

Inuyasha whimpered at the lost of her touch as he opened his eyes to find that there were about five cars that came to a screeching halt in front of the house.

Inuyasha saw the strangers and started to growl again as the new humans approached. He didn't know who they were as they came running towards him. He growled loudly to get them to stop their approach.

He was about to attack when a gentle hand touched his shoulder and he looked up to see Kagome standing behind him. Kagome smiled at him and said, "Don't worry Inuyasha, I called them to come here and get the slavers."

Inuyasha heard her words and backed down as he got up and stood behind Kagome still keeping an eye on the new intruders.

The men that had arrived surrounded the slavers as the barrier went down to allow them to be captured. Then one of the men walked up to Kagome as Inuyasha started to growl deep and menacing, he didn't like other males getting close to Kagome.

Kagome raised her hand to stop him and he did. He stood there listening to what the human had to say, "Miss. Higurashi," said the man as he bowed low towards Kagome in respect.

"We will take these men into custody. Thank you for calling us we have been after these guys for a while. Too bad we can't get their bosses but at least we have them and they won't be doing anything for a long while."

Kagome smiled at the officer and then said, "Oh by the way, a friend of mine gave me this to give to you she said that it will help you to press charges on their bosses."

The sergeant looked at the tape that the girl had given him and a smile came to his face. Then he said, "This friend of yours wouldn't happen to be the priestess that protects this land would she?"

Kagome smiled even wider, "She could be but then again I said she was a friend and I have no knowledge of this friend being a miko."

The sergeant knew he wasn't going to get anything out of the girl and if he pressed any more then her slave looked ready to attack. He hoped that she had him well trained because he didn't relish the idea of being torn apart by a demon.

He smiled and thanked her as he turned and headed towards his men as they put the slavers into the cars they had arrived in. They left the area leaving Kagome and Inuyasha finally alone.

Kagome turned to leave as Inuyasha grabbed her by her arm and then asked, "Kagome who were those people?"

Kagome smiled and said, "Oh those guys, they were just the police. They put people away for a long time for doing bad things."

Inuyasha then said, "O.K. then what did you give him?"

Kagome giggled and said, "their confession on who they were working for, why they wanted you, and the reason they were on protected lands to take you."

Inuyasha looked confused at what she had said then she added, "Think of it this way, Inuyasha. Remember that cell I found you in when I first brought you."

The hanyou nodded his head yes and she continued, "Well, they are going to be in something like that for a long time."

This statement brought a smile to the hanyou face as he thought about them being trapped in a cell for a long time.

Then Inuyasha had a thought that he had to ask, "Kagome, where did you learn how to scratch an ear like that? I have never been subdued that way before."

Kagome giggled as she reached up and grabbed his ear and started to massage it for him. He crouched before her and lowered his head to give her better access as he started to purr with delight.

Then Kagome said in a whisper into his ear, "Someone taught me how to do this a long time ago in order to calm even the most enraged demons. I did this to you last night when you were whimpering in your sleep. It was the only way that I could get you to calm down after all you've had been through."

Inuyasha heard her words but he was just too busy with what she was doing to pay any attention to her. He was enjoying the feeling she was giving him. Then she stopped, he looked up at her with hurt eyes.

Kagome saw his reaction when she stopped and said, "Inuyasha, its getting cold out here. I'm getting hungry and I want some food. I will rub your ears later, now lets go inside and get something to eat."

Inuyasha's ears perked up at the mention of food. He was also hungry as he followed Kagome into the house.

As Kagome walked towards the kitchen she caught the stench of something in her house. She turned around and noticed that it was coming from Inuyasha.

She wrinkled her nose at him as she said, "Um, Inuyasha you need to go and take a bath to get rid of that stench from the stick bombs."

Inuyasha looked at her like she was crazy. He didn't bathe everyday like she did. He only did it when it was necessary. He crossed his arms across his chest as he started to pout like a two year old, "I don't need a bath. I'm not like you that I need to bathe everyday."

Kagome raised an eyebrow as she stared at the hanyou. She turned to go into the kitchen and she said over her shoulder, as she walked away, "Well in my house if you're not clean then you don't eat. If you don't want to bathe then that's fine but you're not going to get any food either."

Inuyasha became enraged as he yelled, "WHAT!"

Kagome turned around and said, "You heard me no bath, no food, it's that simple."

Inuyasha couldn't believe his ears. She wouldn't give him any food if he didn't bathe. He stood there for a few minutes fuming then he started to smell something wonderful coming from the kitchen as his stomach began to growl. 'Maybe being clean isn't such a bad idea.' Thought Inuyasha as he turned with a growl and went towards his room.

Inuyasha got out of his clothes and went into the bathroom as he started to take a shower. He used the soaps that Kagome had for him as he cleaned his body and got rid of the stench that he had. He really hadn't notice how bad he smelled until he was clean and he could smell the difference.

He walked back out into his room and found that his clothes were gone. He got irritated that Kagome had come into his room and took his clothes; her scent was fresh, that's how he knew that she took his clothes.

He hated for people to come into his room while he was bathing. It just wasn't right. He had the right to some privacy and he would like to have it even though this was her house.

Inuyasha was growling as he continued to smell Kagome's scent. Her scent he thought. Her scent made him feel whole, as it seemed to calm his very soul. He felt at home here and he wanted to stay but he knew he would have to go home soon and tell his father of his decision; he wasn't going to be happy.

For months his father had been trying to introduce him to other female demons in heat so he would be interested but he had refused each and everyone. He hated his father for doing this he wanted to find a mate on his own. He wanted to mate when he was ready with someone that he loved. It wasn't a hard request that he had given his father. It was just that his father was inpatient.

He turned his nose up and caught the smell of something good and his stomach started to growl. He got dressed and then went back down the hallway as he entered the kitchen to look at what Kagome was doing.

Kagome was standing by the stove cooking something special. She had heard when Inuyasha came into the room but didn't turn around to greet him, because she was too busy cooking and didn't want to burn anything.

She enjoyed cooking it was her passion. Her mother had said that she didn't need to learn how to cook if she would just take a few of her slaves that were cooks and use them in her house. But Kagome had refused; her mother knew how she felt about slaves. So she had to learn to cook by reading books and looking at cooking shows. She would try different recipes and with each new recipe she made she changed it just a little and made it even better.

Today she was making stir fried rice with cashew chicken. It smelled wonderful as her stomach was beginning to growl. She served the food and then said, "Alright Inuyasha you can sit down and eat."

Kagome saw Inuyasha flinch at the word 'sit' as he expected to hit the ground like he had yesterday. When he opened his eyes he was shocked that he was still standing and that nothing had happened to him.

He looked at Kagome with confusion in his eyes as he asked, "Um, Kagome? What happen? Why didn't I hit the ground the same way I did yesterday?"

Kagome just giggled and said, "I told you yesterday that I changed the word and what it would do so you wouldn't get hurt anymore."

Inuyasha stared at her, and then he asked, "What word did you change it to? And what does it do?"

Kagome raised an eyebrow at him and said, "Do you really want to know?" Inuyasha nodded his head yes indicating that he was ready to be shown.

Kagome looked down at her plate and then said, "Heal boy."

Inuyasha felt himself get lifted from the ground as he was pulled towards the girl and then placed by her side. He couldn't move his body, he was forced to stand by her side as she smiled up at him and said, "Now, isn't this better than getting slammed into the ground each and every time someone said sit?"

The hanyou had to agree, this was better and it brought him closer to her as he stood by her side.

When the spell released him he was free to sit and eat his food with delight. He had never had food like this. It tasted really good and he enjoyed the company of the girl sitting directly in front of him.

They finished their dinner and cleaned up the kitchen. They went into the living room where there was a fire that had been started.

Inuyasha was feeling tired as he sat in front of the fire enjoying its warmth.

Kagome came to sit next to him as she said, "I promised you that I would massage your ear but before I do that I want to brush your hair out because it's a tangled mess."

Kagome had a brush in her hand as she kneeled behind him and started at the top of his head, being careful around his ears, and started to brush out his mane.

Never before has anyone ever brushed his hair the way Kagome was brushing it. It felt good even better than the ear rub she had given him earlier. He started to purr as she continued to work her way down and as she held his hair gently in her hands. She continued to brush out his hair and free it from its many tangles. When she was done his hair it had taken on a new look. It felt silky to the touch and it was as silver as the new moon. She ran her hand through his hair as she heard him moan from her touch.

Inuyasha continued to relax and he finally fell asleep just barely sitting up.

Kagome notice this and gently laid him down on the pillows that were on the ground as he curled up on the floor and slept. 'He looks so cute when he's asleep like that.'

She tried to get up and leave to go to bed when she heard him whimpering like he had done the night before. She sat back down and started to rub his ears as she heard him purr.

Kagome was getting tired as she continued rubbing his ear. Her eyes were getting heavier until she too had fallen asleep with her head on his shoulder and her arm was draped around his chest.

They both slept peacefully for the first time in a long time. Just enjoying each other's company.

oOo-

All right, that is the end to another chapter. Sango will be in the next chapter for all of you that have been asking about her.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Remember to leave me a review and tell me what you think. I will try to post the next chapter on Friday, if I can't then it will be on Saturday.

You all have been wonderful so far in leaving reviews to tell me how you like the story so far. So, I will be looking forward to hearing from all of you.

Suaru, Sango will be in the next chapter and Miroku will be in the chapter following that one. There is so much going on with Miroku and his friends plus other things that it was too much of a scene change to put it in the chapter that way. So I opted to give you a whole chapter showing you what they did and what is also happening at the same time.

Just bare with me and you will see how the story unfolds.

Until the next chapter!

Adios!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The next morning Kagome slowly started to open her eyes. She was warm and she could hear a gentle heart beat. She felt an arm going down her back as it wrapped itself around her waist. When her eyes were finally focused her eyebrow knitted together as she was wondering why she was asleep in the living room.

She started to remember the night before when she was brushing Inuyasha hair and he had fallen asleep once she was done. She had laid him down on some soft pillows and was about to go to bed when he started to whimper the way he did the other night.

She remembered rubbing his ears and that sometime in the middle of the night she had woken up and had heard a gentle purr that lulled her back to sleep. Now she had the hanyou's arm wrapped around her waist and her head was resting upon his chest as she blushed deeply.

'I have to get up, I promised Sango that I would meet her to go shopping for a dress for the upcoming formal dinner that my parents are hosting at their house.' Kagome shuttered at the thought.

Kagome hated such functions and she didn't want to go but she had no choice in the matter, her presence was required for this dinner. She didn't know why her presence was required all she knew was that they wanted her to be there.

Her parents were never ones to keep a secret from her but this time they were and that's what scared her to death. She didn't know what they had planned but if she had to guess it wouldn't be anything good.

She started to move and she felt Inuyasha's arm tighten around her waist as he held her closer to him and then she heard his gentle purr. It was starting to lull her back to sleep when her eyes snapped open, 'Oh no, he's not going to put me to sleep again like he did last night.' She thought as she remembered the feeling of having slept in his arms. It actually felt good like she belonged there next to him but she really did have to get up.

Kagome moved again and Inuyasha groaned as he opened his eyes and said in a sleepy voice, "Kagome where are you going? Why don't you stay here and sleep some more?"

Kagome looked up into his sleepy eyes and said, "I have to get ready to go. I've promised a friend of mine that I will help her buy a dress for the upcoming formal dinner that my parents are having and I can't go back on my word."

Inuyasha just laid there and listened to her words. Then his eyes napped open as he quickly sat up, bringing Kagome along with him and said, "Your parents are holding a formal dinner?"

Kagome looked at him with concern in her eyes as she said, "Yes they are, why?"

Inuyasha was deep in thought, 'Only people of high ranking hold formal dinners, does this means that Kagome's parents are of high rank?' Thought Inuyasha as he said, "Kagome, I thought only people of high rank held formal dinner parties? Are your parents of high rank?"

His question took her completely by surprise, she wasn't ready to answer that question yet but she knew that she would have to answer it sooner rather than later. She sighed as she said, "Inuyasha, I really don't want to answer that question right now. All I want to do is get up and get dressed so I can meet my friend and fore fill my obligation to her. I will answer your question later alright."

Inuyasha let go of Kagome as she quickly stood up and left the room. 'This must be part of the stuff we need to talk about.' Thought Inuyasha as he too stood up and went back to his room to change. He was going to go with her he wasn't about to let her go anywhere by herself.

Kagome came out of her house to find that Inuyasha was waiting for her outside. When he stood to greet her he had on a pair of black jeans, red muscle shirt and a red button up shirt over it. Her cheeks redden just a little when she saw him, 'Why is it that every time I see him in normal clothes I get hot and bothered?' she thought as she approached him.

Kagome looked up and then said, "Inuyasha, where do you think your going?"

Inuyasha looked at her, then raised his eyebrow and said, "I'm coming with you. I'm not about to let you go anywhere unprotected."

Kagome got an irritated look in her eyes as she said, "Inuyasha, I don't need to be protected. I'm going to be in a crowded mall with my friend. I don't need a baby sitter."

Inuyasha was getting angry as he said, "I don't care! I'm coming with you." As he crossed his arms over his puffed out chest to prove his point.

"No Inuyasha, you're not coming with me. You are to stay here, when I come back then we can talk." Kagome then turned and headed for her car as Inuyasha stepped in front of her to block her from reaching it.

"Kagome what's wrong? You have never told me before that I couldn't come with you. Now it seems like you don't want to be seen with me," said and exasperated hanyou.

Kagome lowered her head as he said this. She didn't want to be seen with him. She had spoken out so much on having slaves that she just couldn't go out in public with one. She looked up and saw the hurt in his eyes as he turned away from her and started to walk into the forest.

Kagome saw this and said, "Inuyasha wait! Where are you going?"

Inuyasha stopped and then turned slightly in order to look at her as he said, "I thought that you were different. I thought that you didn't care that I was a hanyou but I see that I was wrong. You are no different than the rest of the humans I have met here." He said this in such a hurt voice that Kagome was starting to panic.

"Inuyasha wait! We can talk about this!" Kagome tried to get him to come back but he had turned and started to walk into the forest. She wasn't about to let him walk out of her life as she said, "Heal boy!"

Inuyasha was picked up and then dragged back to where Kagome was standing. He was struggling to get loose so he could leave, but he couldn't get free of the spell, not even with his demonic powers.

Kagome turned to him and said, "We need to talk. I'm not like the other humans and for you to say that its wrong. I care for all living things be it human, animal, or demons, which include hanyou's.

It's just that I have protested so loudly that to have a companion is wrong that I can't let anyone see that you're with me. I'm not ashamed of you Inuyasha, I just don't want everything that I have built up to this point to come crashing down around me. I want to free all of the demons and I can't, I just can't be seen with you."

Inuyasha stopped his struggling with the subduing spell as he heard her words. The spell finally released him and he was free to move. He looked at her but said nothing as he turned and walked into the forest leaving a distraught girl behind.

Kagome hung her head in shame. She knew that she had hurt him deeply by refusing to let him come with her. She sometimes hated her life. She always had to keep things a secret and she hated it. She wanted to be normal but she couldn't, she can never be a normal girl.

Kagome then turned and got into her car as she drove away to find her friend at the mall.

oOo-

Inuyasha walked deep into the forest until he found a tall tree and then he leaped into its tall branches. He wanted to think and he did his best thinking when he was in a tree.

This girl was so confusing to him, he didn't know if he was coming or going when it came to her.

He sat in the tree and thought about everything the girl had said. He shouldn't get mad at her for not wanting to take him somewhere where people could see him. She was different, she wanted to free all demons and she wanted them to be treated equally.

But there was something nagging at him at the back of his mind. Something was going to happen, that's why he wanted to go with her. He felt that she was going to be in danger and he needed to be there to protect her.

She had been so adamant about him not going with her that he had gotten mad and forgot about the nagging feeling at the back of his mind. He growled as he stood up in the branch and then took off after her. He would follow her scent into this mall she was going to and watch from a distance, making sure that she wouldn't be harmed.

oOo-

Kagome arrived at the mall and she saw Sango waiting for her in the atrium, she approached her friend as she said, "Hi Sango! Sorry I'm late but I had to take care of some business before I could come here."

Sango smiled at her friend and said, "that's alright I wasn't waiting here for very long. As a matter of fact I just got here about five minutes ago."

Both girls laughed as they started to look around the mall for the store that would have what they wanted.

oOo-

Off in the near distance there was a pair of eyes that were watching the girls as they started their shopping. The figure followed them as he looked for the perfect opportunity to do his job.

His job was to get rid of the girl. That's what his employer paid him to do. They needed the girl out of the way before they could get what they wanted. So they had hired him to do the job. He was very good at it as he followed them throughout the entire mall unnoticed by even the best security guards.

She was unprotected so that meant that she was an easy target. All he had to do was wait for his perfect opportunity, which should present itself shortly he had to be patient.

oOo-

Inuyasha had arrived at the mall by following Kagome scent there. He had found her car and then entered the building, which held all different kinds of scents. His senses went wild as he tried to pick up the girls scent but it was difficult. There were so many that it was hard just to pinpoint hers out of hundreds.

The humans were starting to stare at him as he walked through the mall. They knew that he shouldn't be out here without an owner so he stepped up behind this one human that didn't even notice he was there and followed her.

Once all eyes were off him he slipped away and went up. He climbed to the highest point in the mall and sat there looking for Kagome. He spotted her with a dark haired girl as they were going towards the food court. He followed making sure he stayed up high so he wouldn't be noticed.

He saw as the girls got something to eat and then went to sit down. He scanned the area for intruders who wished to do the girl harm and he spotted someone that looked out of place. He was well hidden behind a big bush that was in the middle of the mall. He reached down and pulled out a gun and pointed it at the girl as he took aim.

Inuyasha saw what was about to happen and leaped towards Kagome in hopes of getting to her before the intruder fired his shot.

oOo-

Kagome and Sango found what they were looking for. They had to visit several stores before they found the perfect dress to wear for the formal dinner that her parents were hosting.

Sango had found a blue silk Kimono with beautiful white cranes and Japanese pines all long the bottom with gold detail that set it off just right. She got a gold obi to go along with. When Kagome saw her in it she knew in an instant that it was perfect for her.

Kagome found a white silk Kimono with red roses all along the bottom of it. It had hints of gold thread sewn in at the bottom to give it an accent. She got a red obi to go along with hers and that finished off her ensemble.

Kagome had wanted to get Inuyasha some new formal wear because she knew he would be going to the dinner party. So when she entered a men's store Sango looked at her strangely and asked, "Kagome, why are we in a men's store? What are you going to buy in here?"

Kagome flinched at her question but then she sighed and said, "Inuyasha is going to need something formal to wear when we go to the dinner so I thought I would pick up something that he would like." Said Kagome as she turned around to look at her friend.

Sango had a shocked look on her face as she stared at her friend and said, "Alright Kagome your going to have to tell me everything about this Inuyasha guy."

Kagome nodded her head in agreement but first she wanted to get this black silk Haorihakama with a white Juban. It looked very formal and she thought he would look handsome in it.

When the girls were done shopping they went for a bite to eat. They got some hamburgers, fries and a coke and found an empty table in which they could have their conversation.

Sango looked at her friend with wide eyes as she waited patiently for her to start her story on this person named Inuyasha. Sango grew tired of waiting for her friend to say something so she started for her. "Kagome, are you going to tell me about this guy named Inuyasha?"

Kagome sighed as she started to tell Sango everything that had happened in the last couple of days up to the fight she had with him for not letting him come along to the mall with her. Of course she had left out the part when she turned into a miko, she didn't have to know that.

Sango looked at her friend and said, "Well, Kagome, he is your slave whether you like it or not. He must comply with your wishes that's why they have the subduing necklaces around their necks to make them obey."

Kagome eyes grew big as she said, "You knew about the necklace around their necks? Why didn't you ever tell me about it?"

Sango looked down at her hands suddenly finding them very interesting as her friend was staring at her. She swallowed hard and then said in a low voice, "If I would've told you about the necklace it would've given you something else to fight for. There are so many people that are angry at you for what you're doing that I don't want you to get hurt."

Kagome eyes narrowed as she said, "What else haven't you told me that I should know?"

Sango sighed as she said, "not much, only that as long as you're live the slavers will never be able to subdue him because the necklace is now under your control. No matter what they do, even if they through another necklace around his neck, they can never control him or subdue him in that manner anymore."

Kagome heard her comment and now knew two more things. One, that they will never be able to subdue Inuyasha as long as she lived and two, that another necklace wouldn't work as long as the original one was still in place.

Kagome heard a shot being fired as a figure dressed in red jumped in front of her, grabbed her, and got hit by the bullet that was meant for her.

Screams were heard as people started to get out of the line of fire as another shot rang out and Inuyasha pushed Kagome to the ground protecting her.

Sango had landed next to her friend as Kagome looked at Inuyasha with a dazed look on her face. She had no idea what was going on; when she finally got her focus back she saw that he was bleeding on his right shoulder.

"Inuyasha are you all right?" Inuyasha just grunted as he tried to sit up and another shot was fired. He looked at the table in front of him and quickly turned it over to offer them some protection from the bullets being fired. He collapsed back on top of Kagome trying to protect her. He was suppose to be a weak demon so he couldn't just pick her up and leave the area.

The police came; they were slowly approaching the position where the lone gunman was firing his gun. When they rushed in all they found were the spent cartridges from the gun but no gunman.

Inuyasha was now free to get off Kagome as he sat on the floor panting in pain. He looked at Kagome with concern and asked, "Have you been hurt?"

"No, I haven't been hurt but your bleeding from your shoulder. Lets go home so I can tend to your wounds." Kagome said as she got up off the floor and helped him to stand.

Sango was pretty shaken up by the whole ordeal, she had never been shot at before and she was pale from the incident. Kagome leaned down and said, "Sango are you all right? You didn't get hit did you?"

Sango shook her head no as she got up from the ground and looked at her friend. Kagome was used to this stuff but she wasn't. Then she saw the silver haired man with dog-ears on top of his head standing right behind Kagome holding his shoulder.

Sango looked at Kagome and said, "Is that Inuyasha?"

Kagome nodded her head yes and said, "Yes, that's him and he just saved my life. Do you still think that all demons are bad?"

Kagome eyed her friend as Sango looked at the hanyou and said, "No, not all of them are bad, just a select few."

Kagome said her good bye's to Sango as she helped Inuyasha who was wavering a little and then started to head towards her car.

They were stopped by a police officer that was checking out the area and he asked, "Excuse me Miss can I ask you a few questions?"

Kagome was irritated she wanted to get Inuyasha out of there so she could go tend to his wounds and she was being stopped every few feet to be asked questions. She had enough as she said; "I have already given my statement to the officer standing over there. I want to leave so I can go and tend to his wounds."

The officer looked at her with an inexpressive look on his face as if to say 'so what' and said, "He's only a demon he will heal in a short period of time. I really need to ask you some more questions on what happened here."

That was the wrong thing to say to Kagome. Inuyasha just risked his life to save hers and this fool just said that he was just a demon.

Oh no, he wasn't going to get away with that comment, not this time, "Excuse me, he isn't just a demon. He just saved my life so that makes him a hero. I didn't see any of you trying to protect me but he did, now if you will get out of my way I'm leaving. If you need anymore information on what happened here today then I suggest you go and speak to that officer over there. He already got my statement."

Kagome pushed by the officer as she started to leave and the officer made the mistake of grabbing her by the arm as he stopped her from leaving and she yelped in pain. This was all that it took for Inuyasha to lash out with his claws at the officer for touching his mistress.

Kagome didn't even see when Inuyasha attacked he moved so fast that he was just a blur and then she saw the officer hit the ground. The officer had four deep claw marks on his chest as Inuyasha was in front of Kagome, growling, protecting her. The rest of the officers in the area pulled out their guns and aimed them at him.

Kagome reached out with her hand and gently touched his ear and Inuyasha instantly submitted to her kneeling at her feet as she said, "put your weapons down. He won't attack any of you unless you mean to do me harm."

All of the officers lowered their weapons as Kagome looked at the officer on the ground and said, "Touch me again and I will not stop him from killing you. Your superiors will hear about this and I'm sure my father will be in contact with the chief of police."

The officers face just paled at her statement as Kagome turned to Inuyasha and whispered in his ear, "Inuyasha, please come with me."

Inuyasha got up off the ground and followed Kagome out of the mall as all of the officers stared that her retreating form.

The officer on the ground with the four claw marks on his chest said, "Who in the hell was that?"

The officer closet to him said, "You don't know who she is? She is the daughter of King Higurashi and you just pissed off the wrong person."

The officer paled even more he had no idea that she was Princess Kagome heir to the thrown of the Southern Lands.

oOo-

Kagome had gotten Inuyasha to her car as she sat him down in it so she could look at his shoulder. It was still bleeding which meant that the bullet was lodged inside preventing his demonic powers from healing the wound. There was something else there too. The wound looked red and swollen for some reason but she couldn't figure out what it was.

She got the first aid kit out of the trunk of the car and quickly put a bandage on the wound to prevent the flow of blood until she could get him home.

Inuyasha was breathing hard and he was starting to turn pale as Kagome got in the car and drove off. She kept looking at Inuyasha with concern in her eyes as she started to do a mental check of everything she knew about his injury.

They arrived at her house about 20 minutes later and she helped Inuyasha into the house. She took him to another room that he had never seen before. It looked like a doctors office complete with examining table and cabinets that held all manner of drugs in it.

Kagome sat Inuyasha on the examining table and helped him take off his shirt. The bandage she had put on was soaked with blood as she stared at the skin around the wound. It seemed that the bullet was laced with something else and now it was in Inuyasha blood stream.

Kagome went over to one of the cabinets and pulled out some gauze and antiseptic to clean his wound. Inuyasha flinched away from her in pain as she tried to clean the wound. She knew that she would have to remove the bullet in order to allow his body to heal properly.

She walked around to the front of the table and said, "Inuyasha I have to remove the bullet in order for your body to heal. I'm going to give you something to sleep so I can do this or else you will be in a great deal of pain."

Inuyasha looked at her through half lidded eyes as he agreed with what she had to do.

Kagome got busy as she got some instruments ready for what she needed to do. She put them all on a rolling tray table and put it next to the examining table he was on. She opened another cabinet and got a bottle of chloroform and some gauze as she readied herself to remove the bullet.

"Inuyasha, I'm going to put something over your nose, I want you to breath in deeply all right?" Inuyasha grunted that he understood but it didn't mean he wasn't going to fight when he smelled the stench of the medicine she but over his nose.

Kagome had to fight with Inuyasha to keep the chloroform over his nose until he fell asleep in her arms, as she laid him on his stomach on the table. She wiped away the sweat from her forehead that had gathered there as she set to work to remove the bullet.

About an hour later she had succeeded in removing the bullet from his shoulder. Inuyasha was still asleep on the table and Kagome noticed that his wound was still red and swollen. She didn't have time to find out through normal methods what the bullet was laced with so she used her healing powers to purge the poison from his body.

It took everything she had to purge the poison out of his system and allow his body to heal normally. Whatever it was she was sure that it was meant to kill her the moment the bullet hit her.

'Thank Kami that he's a hanyou or he surely would've died.' That thought sent a shiver up her spine. 'I could've lost him today because he wanted to protect me. I don't think that I could ever live with myself if anything ever happened to him because of me.'

Everything that she had pinned up inside her from the day's events finally hit her. She started to cry as she lost control over her emotions. She had never lost control the way she did today. She looked into his sleeping face and ran her fingers across his cheek.

Inuyasha moaned as if in pain and she gently rubbed his ear to relax him. She stayed by his side the whole night to make sure that he would be all right. Never before had she felt this way about anybody.

Then it finally hit her she was in love with him and for the first time in her life she felt that she had found her soul mate. This thought made her happy. She only hoped that he felt the same way about her.

Kagome continued to massage his ear as he started to purr. His purr made her eyes grow tired as she laid her head down next to him and fell asleep with her arm draped over his waist.

oOo-

All right everyone that's the end to another chapter. As you can see Sango is now in the picture. The next chapter will be Miroku's chapter. It will start from the time he left his lords office until they uncover a big plot.

What can that plot be you say! Ha, ha, you have to wait to find out.

Remember to leave me a review. I want to hear from all of you.

Inuyashamaster: I wanted to say thank you for catching that. I didn't even notice the error until you pointed it out. I promise to watch it from now on but it is hard to do your own editing. But thanks for the reviews.

Beloved Rose: I don't know if I will put Jinx into the story yet but I will think about it and then make my decision, because I'm close to finishing the story. I'll let you know of my decision. Thanks for the review.

As for the rest of you who left reviews thank you. I love reading them.

I wanted to thank everyone that left a review. Thank you so much, '**bows deeply.'** I love reading them and it makes me feel good that you all like this story.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Miroku had left Inutaisho office to go find his youngest son. He needed to take two of his best men with him for this journey. He wanted two men that could easily adapt to the human world and he had just the right two in mind. They were both Inu youkai and their noses will come in handy when it was time to track Inutaisho son.

They have traveled with him on some of his visits to the human world and he could trust them to cover his back if things got out of hand. He went looking for of his friends that would accompany him on his journey.

After searching for his companions all over the castle he finally found them in the field training.

Shawn was trying to teach Mike how to fight with his fists.

Shawn wasn't the tallest of demons maybe standing five foot eleven. He was very well built for his height, his handsome face and dark brown eyes and pointed ears on the side of his head gave you the appearance that he was a hard ass, but in actuality he was a very sweet puppy underneath all those rippling muscles that lay beneath his clothing. His light brown hair that was always tied back in a low ponytail gave him a mysterious quality.

Shawn was an expert fighter through he tended to be a little selfish when it came to telling his friends where he would be in case they needed him. He would sometimes go off on his own not telling anyone where he was going so they could check from time to time to see if he was all right.

On several occasion Miroku had to go looking for him and when Shawn didn't want to be found there was no way they could find him.

Mike on the other hand was a different story. Mike was maybe a couple inches taller than Shawn, his boyish face and baby blue eyes made all the female youkai in their town turn and look. Not very well built, but not under built, Mike was sometimes sickly looking. Suffering from a disease since he was a pup, he would sometimes have his good days and his bad.

Mike was a good fighter but he was not as strong as Shawn. At times he acted almost wimpy never wanting to fight but when pushed he was an excellent fighter if he got mad enough.

But something about him still bothered Miroku. Mike never showed any interest in females but put him in an area where there were only males and he went wild. Miroku still couldn't understand why he was so fascinated with males but as long as he stayed away from him he was all right with it.

Miroku had no interest in males, he was strictly interested in females and this one female that he had meet sometime ago had captured his heart. He wanted so badly to tell her what he was but he knew that if she ever found out that he was a demon then she might kill him outright.

Sango had a bad experience with demons in the past. They used to own some and then one day one of the slaves turned on her family and killed her mother and father.

Sango had been forced to grow up way too soon in order to take care of her younger brother. He understood her feeling but at the same time he felt that she shouldn't put all demons in the same category as the rest. They were all different especially the one's that were still roaming free.

As he approached his two friends he thought, 'these two have picked up enough of the human customs to help me find Inutaisho son. We must to go into new areas that we have never been to before and these two will help me in that task.'

When he was within earshot of his two friends he said, "Shawn! Mike! I need your help!"

Mike and Shawn stopped what they were doing when they heard Miroku call out to them. He had a serious look on his face that always meant that there was trouble and they had to go deal with it.

Miroku stopped in front of his friends and said, "Guys, we have to go out into the human world. The slavers have taken Inutaisho son and we have to locate him before they turn him into a slave. Inutaisho is worried about his safety and if he is hurt in any way then I know his lord will not hesitate to wage war on the humans."

Shawn and Mike looked at each other in shock they didn't know that Inutaisho son was missing and that he was taken by slavers.

Shawn was thinking very rapidly as he said, "Do we know where they might've taken him to?"

Miroku shook his head, as he said, "No, we have no idea which facility they might've taken him to. We would have to check every single one in the area to see if we can find him."

This didn't sit well with Shawn or Mike there were hundreds of these facilities in the area that they would have to check. Shawn was again in deep thought, then he said, "Well, if we don't know where they have taken him to then we can start ruling out the facilities that they wouldn't take him to.

We know for a fact that he will be a very difficult person to break so we can rule out all of the facilities that are not equipped to do this. I know of about 10 facilities in the area that can possibly break him. We can start with the closet one and if we don't find him there then we will continue to look until we do."

Miroku considered Shawn's ideas and he liked them. Then Mike jumped in with something else that he was thinking about. "O.K. if we are going to go to the processing facilities to go demon hunting then we are going to need some money in order to purchase him. Our money is no good in the human world so we would have to get some human currency. We will need clothes that would indicate we are businessmen on a hunt for only a certain kind of demon for our employer and we have to look the part."

Miroku was amazed in a matter of minutes these two have already had a plan of attack and a list a mile long of the things they would need in order to complete their mission.

Miroku sighed as he said, "Alright I'll get all of the necessary items for this mission. I'm sure that Lord Inutaisho will give us everything we need in order to find his son. We will meet back here tomorrow morning at dawn and then we can set out to find him."

All of them agreed to the plan as Miroku left the area to go and get the necessary items that they had requested. Shawn and Mike stayed behind in order to keep practicing. At one point he heard Mike cry out in pain as he heard Shawn laughing his ass off for hurting his friend.

Miroku shook his head, "those two will be the death of me yet."

oOo

Miroku arrived at the field at dawn with the needed items for the trip to the human world.

Shawn and Mike eyed Miroku with interest, he was wearing black and purple robes that signified he was a monk and by the looks of things they thought he had similar clothing for them. He was carrying his staff that meant he was serious about finding Inutaisho son. He never took his staff unless they were heading for danger and being that close to the processing facilities was dangerous enough in there minds, it sent a shiver up their spine just thinking about it.

Miroku stopped in front of them and said, "I have chosen monks clothes because I will be able to travel easier in them plus they won't question a monk in search of a certain kind of demon for their employer. I have for both of you casual wear and a couple of business suits for when we go into the processing facility. Mike I want you to do the talking since you seemed to be more knowledgeable of the business aspects of the human world. Shawn you will be his partner and I will be the one to control the demon once we find him."

They all agreed to the plan as they got dressed and then headed towards the nearest processing facility.

oOo

The weeks passed and they still didn't find Inutaisho son. They have been to 5 processing facilities and they were getting frustrated.

Miroku's concealment spell hid Shawn's and Mike's demon features very well. They each had a ring that they wore to conceal their demon features. It had taken them only one visit to a processing facility to figure out what they needed to ask and how to manipulate the humans into showing them their facilities.

But they still needed to find the right facility that held what they were looking for. They were now heading towards the big city. Shawn knew of a facility there that was known to 'break the unbreakable demons' and if they had to guess this was the place they would've brought Inutaisho son.

They were now standing outside the facility as they gathered their courage to enter. This was by far the biggest facility they had visited and the scariest. Miroku turned to his companions and said, "Are you ready for this?"

Shawn and Mike looked at each other and nodded their agreement that they were ready.

They all turned and started to head towards the building that stood in front of them hoping to find Inuyasha.

oOo

Kusco was pacing back and forth in Naraku's office. She was frustrated; everything they had tried had failed to bring the hanyou back to the processing facility. She wanted her toy back; she wanted him so much that it hurt just to think about him. He belonged to her and that bitch had no right to buy him. She still couldn't forgive Naraku for selling her toy.

As Kusco continued her pacing she thought, 'I'm letting my personal feelings get in the way of my work and this isn't good. If Naraku gets mad then he will never bring back my toy.' She quit her pacing and sat down to face Naraku.

She eyed him out of the corner of her eye and said, "What are we going to do now? The slavers failed to bring the hanyou back here. They have gotten themselves thrown in jail for attempting to take him from the girls home."

Naraku looked at Kusco as she was talking and said, "Well, we got very lucky on that one. If the police had heard the confession of those idiots on tape then we would be there with them. Good thing I have people working every where, they stepped in and erased the tape before anyone could hear it."

Kusco visibly relaxed as she continued, "Then that assassin you hired failed at his job. He almost killed the hanyou. That poison that he laced his bullets with would've killed the girl but it left the hanyou in bad shape. He might still die from his injuries all because he wanted to save that stupid bitch."

"Now, now Kusco, you can't be calling all of our good paying customers bitches. She had every right to buy him especially when she paid so much money for him. I wouldn't mind selling her a couple more youkai if she would pay that well for them." Naraku had his eyes closed as he remembered all of the money he had gotten for the hanyou. He was worth his weight in gold.

He opened his eyes and said, "But unfortunately with the girl still alive we can't bring him back here. The subduing necklace has already accepted the girl as its new owner and with her still alive we won't be able to subdue him. We need her dead if we want the hanyou back." Said Naraku as he placed his hands together in front of him eyeing Kusco with interest.

He knew that she wanted to have the hanyou as her new sex toy but he had denied her that luxury. She was having too many toys lately and if she continued he wouldn't be able to sell any more demons. That's why he was up on the sixth floor that day. He knew that Kusco wouldn't get him if they wanted to buy any of her toys. He had to protect his business.

Just then the intercom buzzed in the office and Naraku answered, "Naraku here, what is it?"

The receptionist on the other end said, "Um, Mr. Naraku I have several gentlemen here that are interested in buying hanyou's. They say that their employer collects them and that he has sent them out looking for any and all available hanyou."

Now this little bit of news interested him very much, he had to see what they wanted the hanyou's for. He then said, "Could you please escort them to my office I will speak to them."

The receptionist said, "Yes sir."

About two minutes later he heard a gentle knock on the door as it opened and the three men were escorted into his office. One was a monk and the other two were very distinguished looking businessmen.

As the three men walked into the office the one with almost no hair said, "Hello my name is Mike and I have come on behalf of my employer who is seeking to buy hanyou's. He is willing to pay top price for them if they are in good shape."

Naraku smiled wide as he shook the man's hand and said, "Please have a seat, we don't have any hanyou's in the facility at the moment but we are in the process of negotiating to buy some. What kind are you looking for?"

Mike heard what the man had said and chose his words very carefully. "He is seeking Inu hanyou. He already has some and he likes the way they work so he is looking for more to be laborers."

Naraku liked this person. If he got the hanyou back then he could get twice the amount of money that he had originally gotten for him and then he would add on what he had paid those fools who were sitting in jail and the amount he had paid the assassin to get rid of the girl. 'Yes, this could be a very good business proposition for me.'

Naraku then said, "You're in luck, the hanyou that I'm in negotiations for is a Inu hanyou maybe once I have procured him I can contact you and you can come and see him." He said with a smile on his face.

The three men stood up as Mike offered his hand and said, "That would be wonderful. You can contact us at this number." He handed Naraku a card with his number written on it and then said, "I will look forward to hearing from you."

Once the three men had left the office and Kusco was sure they were out of earshot she yelled, "How can you sell the hanyou before we even get him back here!"

Naraku just looked at Kusco and said, "I haven't sold him yet. I have a potential buyer for him that's all."

Kusco was fuming she wanted to have the hanyou all for herself but it was proving to be a difficult task then she said, "Then how do we get him here? Everything we have tried hasn't worked so far, so how do you suppose we get him back?"

Naraku smiled and said, "I guess we have to go visit our wolf friends in the forest and ask for their assistance. If they can take care of the girl then we can get our hands on the hanyou its that simple."

Kusco smiled, she knew that the wolf demons would do anything as long as they kept the slavers from capturing any more of their wolves. Then she said, "Alright I'll go and pay them a visit and tell them what we need. I'll tell him that he is free to do whatever he wants to with the girl as long as he leaves the hanyou alone."

Naraku smiled as he agreed with her plan. They were going to get the hanyou back and as soon as he had him he would sell him to these fools who would probably pay just about anything for him.

Kusco left the office to go see the wolf demons in the forest with their request.

oOo

Miroku, Mike, and Shaw had made it to the outside of the processing facility. They where making their way towards the wooded area near the facility so they could talk. When they thought it was safe Shawn was the first to speak, "Miroku, they know where he is I heard them talking as we left their office."

Miroku looked shocked he didn't hear a thing but then again he wasn't an Inu youkai with sensitive hearing either. Then he said, "What did you hear them say?"

Shawn took a deep breath and then told him everything they had said. Mike confirmed his story and now they had a bigger problem. If what Shawn heard is true then there is a young girl in danger. They would have to find him before these wolf demons got into the picture.

Miroku was in deep thought as he said, "Did you happen to hear who the girl was or where she might live?"

Both Mike and Shawn shook their heads no. Then Shawn came up with a plan. "I can follow this woman named Kusco to the wolf pack and see if I can learn the girls name from her. She would have to tell them her name if they are to capture her."

Miroku liked this idea but hated sending Shawn out on his own. He knew he could be reckless at times but he was the best one out of all three of them to follow this woman. Miroku sighed and said, "Alright you can follow her but you're not to engage the enemy, you are to come back here to the hotel and tell us what is going on."

Shawn agreed to Miroku's conditions and turned as he sniffed the air and said, "That wench is leaving, I have to go if I'm going to follow her to this wolf pack."

Miroku nodded his understanding of the situation as he saw Shawn leave and head due north following that woman that was in Naraku office.

Miroku turned to Mike and said, "Come on Mike, let's go back to the hotel and wait for Shawn. Hopefully he won't be gone for very long." They both left the area heading back to the hotel where they would live for the next couple of days. Hoping that it won't take their friend long to find out the information they needed.

oOo

Kusco had been driving north for about an hour. She was nearing her destination as she pulled her car into a secluded part of the forest and got out. She went into the forest looking for the wolf demons that lived somewhere deep in this area.

She walked for about 5 miles when she spotted the scouting party for the wolf demons. When they had her surrounded she said, "Take me to Kouga I have business with him."

The wolves that had her surrounded recognized her from before as they escorted her to the leader of their pack.

They walked for about another 3 miles until they reached a waterfall that was the home of the wolf demons. The guards in front of the waterfall saw the group approaching the main pack and called for Kouga to come out.

Kouga stepped out of the cave that was hidden behind the waterfall to await the arrival of the stranger that wanted to see him. When his scouting party got closer he got the scent of the person with them. He winched as he remembered whom scent that belonged to as he waited for her to come nearer.

Kusco continued to walk straight up to Kouga even after the wolves that were escorting her stopped short of the cave entrance. She made it to where he was and said, "Kouga, it has been a while since we have last talked."

Kouga just eyed her and said, "What do you want bitch? When ever you show up it means that you want us to do something for you, so lets cut out the pleasantries and just tell me why you're here."

Kusco smiled and said, "Oh, you're going to like this little task. All I want you to do is get rid of a certain girl for us that's all."

Kouga eyed her not fully believing what she was saying because every time she came here he would lose a few of his men in the task that she wanted him to do. He knew that in order to keep his pack safe from the slavers he had to agree to whatever her request was, so he sighed and said, "Is that all we have to do? Or is there anything else you're not telling us?"

Kusco smiled as she thought 'he really doesn't trust me. Well I can't say that I blame him, since every time I show up he loses men. But this task should be simple enough for him.'

Then she turned her attention back to Kouga and said, "No this is all I want. You are to get rid of a girl named Kagome. She lives about 30 miles from here in the protected lands. You can do whatever you want to her, I don't care. But there's a hanyou with her and you're not to touch him at all, you're to leave him to me. Here is a picture of the girl that you are to get rid of."

Kusco handed him a picture of Kagome and when Kouga looked at the picture his heart started to race. She was very beautiful, but he seemed to know this wench from somewhere, he just couldn't place where he had seen her before.

Kouga looked up from the picture he was holding and asked, "I can do anything I want to her?"

Kusco smiled and said, "anything you want as long as you kill her in the end. I need her dead and that's all you need to know."

Kouga eyed her very apprehensively, 'why would she want the girl dead? Unless she has the power over the necklace that the hanyou is wearing and in order for them to subdue him they need the girl dead.' So now her plan was starting to make sense as he continued to eye Kusco with disgust.

Kouga sighed as he said, "I have to plan for this attack. I will contact you when we are ready to move so you can move in and get the hanyou."

Kusco smiled as she turned to leave the wolves camp. She headed back in the same direction she had traveled to get back to her car. A few of the wolf demons followed her, one to make sure she would be safe and two to make sure that she left the area.

Kouga stood there and watched as that bitch left the area then two of his men walked up to him and said, "Kouga are we going to go after this bitch and kill her?"

Kouga smiled and said, "Oh, we'll go and get this girl, but she interest me, so I might make her my woman. She is very pretty and I have seen her before but I don't remember where I have met her."

Kouga's men were in shock to hear him say this. Wolf demons never mated with humans. They hated hanyou's so to mate with a human meant that the pups would be killed once they were born but he still wanted to make this wench his woman.

His men never questioned their leader decision. They just followed orders and if he wanted to make her his woman then no one was going to stop him.

oOo

Shawn had been following Kusco since she had left the processing facility. He spotted her car and saw what it looked like. He was running and jumping from building to building making sure no one saw him as he saw her pull off the road and head into the forest.

Shawn followed from high in the trees. In this way he could see where she was going and if she met anyone in the forest they wouldn't be able to pick up on his scent. His thinking proved to be correct when she met a group from the wolf demon pack and asked to be taken to their leader.

He followed as the group came upon a waterfall and Shawn stopped on a tree branch to listen to what they were talking about. He listened to everything they had said and then everything Kouga had said once Kusco had left the area.

'So this Kouga guy wants to make the girl his woman. He is going to go against Kusco on this and it will only bring them nothing but trouble.' Thought Shawn as he continued to listen to the wolves until they went inside the cave that was hidden behind the waterfall.

Shawn then turned and left the area making sure no one saw him in the area spying. 'I have to get back to the others as soon as possible this Kagome girl is in a lot of trouble and she doesn't even know it yet.'

Shawn raced back to the hotel to where his friends were waiting for him to return. He just hoped that they could come up with a plan that will prevent anything from happening to the girl.

oOo

Miroku was pacing the floor of the hotel room. It has been more than two hours since Shawn had left the group and he still wasn't back. Miroku was getting worried that something might've happened to him. He was afraid that he was hurt somewhere and they didn't know where he was.

Mike watched Miroku pace back and forth in the room. He was getting tired of watching him pace as he was wearing out the carpet from his continuous nervous habit.

Mike couldn't stand it any more and then said, "Miroku! Will you quit pacing! You're driving me crazy!"

Miroku looked up from the ground as he stared at Mike. Then he thought, 'this must've been the same thing Lord Inutaisho was going through when he found out his son was missing.' Miroku sighed as he went to sit down in a chair.

Miroku's nervous habit started again with him drumming his fingers against the table as Mike was forced to listen to the, "rat tat tat tat, rat tat tat tat."

Mike had enough of the noise that Miroku was making and he pounced on him. He pulled Miroku from the chair and threw him on the ground as he landed on top of him straddling his waist.

His hands grabbed a fist full of fabric at the shoulder and he was pulling Miroku towards him, as their faces were almost touching each other's noses. Then he growled in a deep and menacing voice, "If you don't quit making all of that damn noise I am going to thrash you."

At that moment Shawn walked into the room and saw Mike on top of Miroku and he said in a very amused voice, "Oh, am I interrupting anything? I can go and come back, in let's say about an hour, so you two can have some time alone."

Miroku became enraged as he pushed Mike off him and stood to meet Shawn's gaze and he said, "It's not what you think! We weren't doing anything like that."

Shawn just smiled and said, "Sure you weren't." As he walked into the room still sweating from the run he had to make to come back to the hotel.

They all looked at Shawn waiting for him to tell them what he had found out.

Miroku was on his last nerves as he said, "Shawn! Will you tell us what you found out!"

Shawn smiled as he proceeded to tell them everything he had heard. Miroku and Mike listened closely to everything he said then Miroku said, "Well at least we now know who she is and that she lives in the protected lands now we have to find her." Everyone nodded their head agreeing with his statement.

Miroku then got an idea as he stood and went over to the phone. He pulled out apiece of paper, with a number written on it, out of his robes and dialed it.

Shawn and Mike looked on with curiosity as Miroku began to talk to the person on the other end. "Sango my sweet how have you been? It's been a while since I have seen you. I'm in town on some business and thought I might stop by and see you if your not too busy."

Mike and Shawn had no idea who this Sango was but they had a hunch that it was a female that Miroku was interested in. Then they heard him say; "Great! I will see you in about half an hour. Until then my sweet."

Miroku hung up the phone and turned to see four very inquiring eyes looking at him. He sighed and said, "She's a human female that I'm very fond of and I thought that maybe she might know this Kagome person that we are looking for or maybe she has heard something about the hanyou that is with her."

Shawn and Mike both smirked and then Mike said, "Sure Miroku and we will see you in the morning." Then both Mike and Shawn started to laugh, they laughed so hard that they fell out of the chairs they were sitting in as they were holding their sides to keep from busting a gut.

Miroku eyed them both as he huffed and walked out of the room to go meet Sango. As he was walking away he could still hear his friends laughing and this irritated him to no end, 'I'm going to kill those two one of these days.'

oOo

Miroku met Sango in a little restaurant not too far away from the hotel he was staying in. He had to use his concealment ring to hide his robes from her and make him look more normal. He was wearing a pair of blue jeans with a white muscle shirt and a blue button down shirt over it and tennis shoes. At least he felt comfortable.

Sango arrived on time as he had ordered a pizza for them to have. Sango approached her friend and then kissed him as she said, "Well this is a nice surprise I didn't expect to see you this soon."

Miroku gave her one of his trademark smiles and said, "You know that anytime I'm in town I always come to see you." His statement caused Sango to blush bright red as they began to eat their food.

After they had finished they were engaged in some meaningless conversation as he asked, "So Sango, anything interesting happened to you lately?" It was one of the rhetorical questions that he would ask her and he was very surprised by the answer he got from the girl.

"Oh, Miroku, you're never going to believe what happened to me. I was in the mall with my friend Kagome and we came under fire from an unknown assailant. Her slave, Inuyasha, jumped right in front of her and took a shot to the shoulder as he was protecting her from getting hurt. It was the most terrifying thing I have ever been through." Said a very distraught Sango.

Miroku just about choked on his drink when he heard the name of the girl he was searching for and then about shit his pants when he was told that her slave was named Inuyasha. He tried to gather his thoughts and very carefully chose his words when speaking to Sango.

"You weren't hurt were you?" asked a very concerned Miroku.

Sango just smiled and said, "No I wasn't hurt he protected both of us from getting hurt. I have to admit he is a cute one. I had no idea that demons would risk their own lives to save a human."

Miroku looked relieved that she was not hurt and then asked, "Well how is this, what was his name Inuyasha? Is he doing to be all right or did something else happened to him?"

Sango looked at him funny but said, "No he's doing fine. I called Kagome and asked her how he was doing and she said that he has recovered from the wound fairly quickly. She said he is back to normal now." Sango giggled as she continued, "He won't let her leave without him anymore. He says that he wants to protect her but my friend is dead against him getting hurt anymore."

Miroku was please to learn that Inuyasha was all right and that the girl was protecting him. He had no idea who this girl was but it sounded like she cared for him. Miroku then smiled at Sango and said, "Well, she must have plenty of money if she was able to get a doctor to take care of him. I know that most doctors won't treat a demon."

"He's a hanyou, not full blooded, and yes she does have money but she treated him herself. Kagome is a wonderful doctor and she treats everyone in need. She will be graduating from college in a few weeks which gives her the paper that says she can officially treat people in the eyes of the law but she has always done it." Said Sango with pride about her friend's accomplishments.

Miroku smiled and said, "You're going to have to introduce me to this wonderful friend of yours. She sounds like a really nice person."

Sango thought for a few minutes and said, "You can meet us at the university tomorrow, she's scheduled to go to school for exams, then I can introduce you."

"I'm sorry Sango but I have a business meeting tomorrow maybe the next time I'm in town." He said with genuine regret in his voice.

Sango looked sad but then said in a cheerful voice, "You can meet her at a formal dinner party her parents are hosting in a couple of weeks. You can be my date if you want." Sango blushed even redder as she said this.

Miroku smiled and said, "I think I might be able to come back here in a few weeks time and escort you to this dinner of hers. Are her parents of high ranking?"

Sango smiled and said, "Well, yes they are. Her parents are the King and Queen of the Southern lands."

Miroku must have paled because Sango became very concerned over the color his skin was turning into. 'She is the daughter to the King of the Southern land? Oh Kami, I have to get Inuyasha out of there and soon. If his father ever finds out that he was a slave to the princess he will not waste anytime in attacking the humans here.'

Miroku looked up and then focused on what Sango was saying, "Miroku are you all right? You turned pale a few minutes ago like you were getting sick or something."

Miroku shook his head and said, "No, I'm fine its just that I remembered that I have to go and finish my presentation for the meeting I have tomorrow and I don't want you to be out so late at night."

Sango smiled at his concern as Miroku paid for their meal and he escorted her to her car and kissed her goodnight. Sango got in her car and drove home as Miroku turned and headed back to the hotel room to meet his friends. They weren't going to believe what he was about to tell to them.

oOo

"You've got to be kidding us?" Miroku was sitting in a chair in their hotel room as he finished telling his friends everything he found out about where Inuyasha had been for the last month or so.

Shawn and Mike couldn't believe that he was turned into a slave and that he was protecting the daughter to the King of the Southern lands. This will not sit well with Lord Inutaisho that his youngest son is a slave to the princess.

Miroku looked at his friends and said, "We can meet up with him tomorrow at the university. I'm sure he will be with the girl at the school since she has to go in and take final exams for her degree to be a doctor."

Both Shawn and Mike looked at him and said together, "A doctor?"

Miroku smiled and said, "Yes, she's a healer and from what Sango has told me a very good one. She's only going to school to get a degree to let her practice and be legal with the law. She has been healing for a long time. She will treat anyone who needs help and she doesn't care if they're demons."

This little bit of information changed Shawn and Mike's opinion of the girl. If she treated demons for injuries then she was not like the rest.

Miroku then said, "We better get some rest. Dealing with Inuyasha tomorrow is going to be a big headache and to make him leave the girl is going to be an even bigger challenge."

Both Shawn and Mike agreed with his statement as they all settled down to rest.

Tomorrow was going to be a very interesting day.

oOo

That's another chapter. Now you know what Miroku, Mike, and Shawn have been up to in the past month and a half. I know I didn't put Inuyasha and Kagome in this chapter but they will come back in the next.

The stage has been set. What will Miroku and the others do? Will they be able to get Inuyasha away from Kagome? Well you are going to have to wait to see what happens.

Remember to leave me a review and tell me what you think.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Kagome had awoken to the sound of Inuyasha gasping for air. He was having a hard time breathing when he was lying on his stomach. The chloroform was starting to wear off and now, for some unknown reason; he was having problems just taking normal breaths.

Kagome quickly got up and went to check on him. 'His air passage seemed to have closed for some reason.'

She slipped one arm under his chest as she brought her other arm around his back; she grabbed onto her other hand and lifted him into an almost sitting position, with his back resting against her chest. She rolled him on his left side, being careful of his right shoulder, as she laid him back down.

She hit the pedal on the floor and raised the head of the table so that Inuyasha was part way sitting up.

It was helping with his breathing but he was becoming so agitated that he started to panic. She tried to help him relax so he could breath but even rubbing his ears wouldn't clam him.

Kagome was starting to get worried, if she didn't get him to clam down and soon, she could lose him.

She started to think about what she could do to clam him. She got an idea as she sat on the bed and then pulled his head against her chest and held him. She started to coo at him as she said, "Koi, please clam down, if you don't I will lose you. I don't even want to think about losing you, I love you and I need you to stay with me." She said in a soft and gentle voice.

Kagome rocked him as she held him in her arms and then started to sing to him in a nice low voice.

oOo

Inuyasha had woken up; his shoulder felt like it was on fire. He started to take deep breaths in order to fill his lungs with some much-needed air. The more he breathed the more he needed. Soon he started to cough and he was choking as he felt Kagome turn him on his side.

He felt as she raised the bed he was on so that he was almost in a sitting position. It helped with his breathing but he still couldn't get enough air.

He was starting to panic, he felt her rub his ear but this wouldn't clam his instincts to survive.

He needed to breath and he wanted air as he was fighting with his body to get it. He felt as Kagome rested his head on her chest as the sound of her heartbeat was beginning to calm him down.

Then he heard her words and it touched his heart, 'She called me Koi and she said she loved me.' These few words were enough to clam him as he heard her singing to him the way his mother used to do. She was rocking him gently as he finally fell asleep with the thought that he might've found his life mate.

Kagome finally felt him relax as his breathing became normal. She laid him down on the table as she gently caressed his cheek with her hand. She stared at him with want as she thought, 'How can I ever live my life without him. I love him so much that it hurts. I know that he will never accept me once I tell him who I am.'

Tears were coming down her face as she continued to look at him. "I love you, my Inuyasha." Kagome whispered as she got up and then went to see what kind of poison was put into the bullet that almost killed him.

oOo

The next morning Inuyasha slowly opened his eyes as he noticed that Kagome was sitting in a chair with her head down on the table asleep next to him. She had not left his side since he had gotten hurt.

He took a deep breath and he finally felt fine. His shoulder was just a little sore. He shifted just a little and Kagome instantly woke up. She looked up with concern in her eyes as she said, "Inuyasha! How are you feeling?"

Inuyasha smiled at the girl and then said, "I feel fine thanks to you. I never thought that a bullet could hurt so much."

Kagome was relieved to hear that he was feeling better as she sat back in her chair and said, "Well, you weren't hit by a normal bullet. The bullet had been laced with cyanide. The dose was enough to kill 100 people. If it would've hit me I would've been dead in a matter of minutes."

Kagome continued to look at her hands as she talked she didn't want to see his face because she knew that she would begin to cry again at the thought of losing him.

Her eyes were beginning to fill with tears, she didn't want Inuyasha to see her crying so she got up as she started to leave the room that Inuyasha was in.

Inuyasha saw her leaving and then said, "Kagome? Where are you going?" He didn't want her to leave he liked being with her.

Kagome turned, trying to hold back her tears, as she said, "I'm going to make you something to eat. I'll be right back." She smiled and then walked out the door.

Once Kagome was outside the room she broke down and cried. She couldn't help it she had been a nervous wreck ever since Inuyasha had gotten hurt. She couldn't sleep, she couldn't eat, and she was having a hard time with just about everything.

Inuyasha's ears moved from side to side as he heard Kagome crying out in the hallway. He slowly got up and went to the door as he quietly opened it. He found her on the floor right outside his door, she had her back to him and her head was hanging down crying.

Kagome continued to cry as she said in a low and soft voice, "How can I live my life without him. I love him so much but as soon as he's better I know he will leave. I have to face it he couldn't be interested in a person like me."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," said Inuyasha as he stepped into the hallway and kneeled right in front of her.

Kagome jumped, she had thought that she was alone but there he was kneeling right in front of her as he heard everything she had said. She turned bright red from embarrassment as she tried to stand up and leave.

Inuyasha seeing what she was going to do was not about to let her leave. He grabbed her by her arms and pulled her back towards him, while they were both kneeling on the floor.

He looked into those perfect blue eyes searching for the other part of his soul. She made him whole and he wasn't about to let her go.

Kagome couldn't look at him; she was embarrassed at what he had heard her say as she looked away from him. She wanted to get away from him but he was holding her so tight that it almost seemed impossible for her to move.

Inuyasha took his hand and placed it on her chin as he turned her head towards him so he could look at her. He wanted to see her eyes. He wanted to know if she really loved him or was it just words that she was saying before. Her eyes were like an open book to him as he saw the love she felt for him.

Kagome was struggling against his grip but it was a losing battle as he leaned down and kissed her passionately. She tried to pull away from his grasp but as he tightened his grip on her she gave into her desire and relaxed into his arms enjoying the kiss they were sharing.

When they finally pulled apart, Inuyasha looked into her blue eyes and said, "Kagome, I don't know what I would've done if that bullet would've hit you instead of me. I can't bare the thought of losing you. I love you Kagome and I want you to be my life mate."

Kagome was breathing hard. She had heard his confession to her and it filled her heart with joy. He loved her just as she loved him and now he was asking her to be his life mate. She looked into his eyes and said, "Before I answer your question there's something that you must know about me." She said as she lowered her head to the ground, not willing to look at him.

Inuyasha saw the happiness in her eyes and then the sadness that took over them. He heard what she had said to him as she looked away. 'What does she have to tell me that would cause her so much pain. That she can't even answer my question?'

"Kagome what must I know about you? And why can't you answer my question?" asked Inuyasha as he eyed her with interest.

Kagome started to get up off the floor as she used the wall to support her tired body. She was weak from lack of sleep, lack of food, and especially after that kiss. She started to fall and Inuyasha grabbed her as he lifted her in his arms and took her to her bedroom to rest.

He walked into her room and placed her on the bed, he sat next to her and waited for her to explain her statement from before.

After a few minutes Kagome started to stir and felt that she was lying on something soft. She opened her eyes and saw that she was in her bedroom. Inuyasha was sitting next to her waiting for her explanation.

She took a deep breath and turned away from him as she closed her eyes and said, "After I tell you what you need to know you may not want me as your life mate."

Inuyasha breath just hitched as he heard her words. 'What does she mean I wouldn't want her as my life mate. She is everything that I ever wanted and I love her. What's wrong?' he looked at her with concern and said, "Kagome, what's wrong? Please tell me!"

Kagome took another deep breath and then said, "My name is Kagome, Kagome Higurashi, and my father is the King of the Southern lands."

Kagome turned to see the shocked look on his face as she sat up in her bed and continued. "Inuyasha, I'm sorry but you had to know that I'm Princess Kagome heir to the thrown of the Southern Lands. I felt that you have a right to know this before I would answer your question. I'll understand if you want to leave." She said in a sad voice as she looked away from him.

Inuyasha was in shock he couldn't believe what she had just told him. 'She is a princess and heir to the Southern lands?' He looked at her and he saw the tears running down her face. She was afraid that he would turn her away because of who she was.

He then said, "Kagome answer me this question. Do you love me?"

Kagome raised her head and looked into his golden eyes, without even hesitating she answered, "Yes."

Inuyasha smiled as he heard her answer and then said, "Well, since we are telling each other the truth about our parents then it's only fair that you know that my father is Lord Inutaisho, ruler of the Western Lands."

Kagome's eyes grew bigger at what he had said. 'His father is the Lord of the Western Lands! Then that means he is a prince and I'm a princess and if we were to marry our two kingdoms will be united as one.'

Kagome was breathing hard she didn't know what to do. She loved him and wanted to be with him but what would their parents say? Would they even allow such a union between them?

Inuyasha saw the emotions that were running through the girl's eyes. He knew what she was thinking and then he said, "Kagome? I'm waiting for an answer to my question, will you be my life mate?"

Kagome looked at him and said, "Um, Inuyasha, what would your father say if you wanted to mate with a human?"

Inuyasha looked at her and said, "I don't care what he thinks. I love you and I want you to be mine forever. He's just going to have to live with it because this is what I want."

Kagome's heart filled with joy, 'he doesn't care what his fathers thinks, he loves me and wants to be with me and I feel the same way.' She smiled and said, "I love you too Inuyasha. I don't care what my father thinks either I want to be with you forever. So to answer your question the answer is yes."

Inuyasha heart almost leaped out of his chest as he heard her answer. He leaned in and kissed her as he gently laid her down on the bed never once breaking from the kiss they were sharing.

When he pulled away from her he said, "You just made me the happiest demon alive. I have one more thing to ask you. May… I… mark you?"

Kagome looked at him with confusion in her eyes, she didn't know what he meant by that. "Um, Inuyasha? What does that mean?"

He smiled at her and said, "When an Inu youkai finds his intended he marks her to make sure that other youkai know that she's taken. It's not the mating mark, which will stay with you forever, but the mark I will give you will mark you as mine and you will carry my scent protecting you. Anyone who tries to take you will suffer my wrath. This is our custom."

Kagome then said, "Oh, so it's like an engagement mark saying that I'm yours until we, um, mate?"

Inuyasha smiled and said, "Yes."

Kagome smiled and said yes to his request as Inuyasha leaned in and kissed her once again. He kissed her passionately as he nipped at her lower lip and she gladly opened her mouth to him. He enjoyed her sweet juices as his tongue explored every inch of her. Their tongues were fighting each other to see who was stronger as Inuyasha easily won that battle.

He pulled away from her as he started to trail kisses down her neck. He moved her hair out of the way as he pulled on her shirt to expose her neck even more. He started to kiss the sensitive area of where her neck met her shoulder as his eyes turned red and his fangs grew longer. Then he bit her as the blood started to come from her wound and his fangs dug deeper into her skin.

Kagome suppressed a cry as she closed her eyes and just enjoyed the sensation he was giving her body. She completely relaxed in his arms as he removed his fangs and then started to lick the wound closed. Kagome moaned with desire as she felt his hot tongue on her neck.

She was getting tired as her eyes started to close at hearing Inuyasha's purr coming from deep in his chest. He was purring with delight as he was licking her neck happy that she had accepted him as a mate.

When Inuyasha looked up he saw that she was asleep in his arms. He smiled knowing that his purr had lulled her to sleep and after taking care of him all night, she deserved to get some rest.

He pulled her closer to him as he cradled her sleeping form in his arms and then fell asleep right next to her. He held onto his future mate, as his demon side beamed with joy at having found a mate that was his equal.

oOo

Kagome awoke the next day to find that she was warm and that she was being held in a tight embrace. When her eyes focused she saw that Inuyasha was asleep right next to her. She smiled as she looked at his sleeping face. 'So this is what I have to look forward to every morning when I wake up.'

Kagome started to giggle as she reached up with her hand and started to rub his ear.

Inuyasha felt good, someone was rubbing his ears and it really felt good. He slowly opened his eyes and saw two blue ones staring right back at him. He tightened his grip on the girl in his arms as he leaned down and kissed her passionately. Her hand left his ear as she wrapped them around his neck and leaned her body close to his.

When he finally released her he said, "How do you feel?"

Kagome smiled and said, "fine, but I'm a little hungry. How about we go and get something to eat."

Inuyasha smiled at the mention of food and release the girl from his grasp as she slowly got out of her bed and stood. Kagome tested her legs, as she felt weak from not eating. She slowly walked to the door with Inuyasha right behind her as they walked down to the kitchen.

It didn't take long for Kagome to cook breakfast for them as they sat down and ate their food. Kagome felt better after she had eaten. They were cleaning the kitchen when the phone rang and Kagome went to answer it. Inuyasha continued to clean the kitchen and found that it wasn't as hard as he had thought it would be.

When he was done he went in search of Kagome who was somewhere in the house. He heard her voice coming from a room and he went to investigate. He opened the door and found her sitting behind a big desk as she put the phone down, looked up at him, and gave him one of her most perfect smiles.

He walked into the room and saw all of the books that were neatly placed on the bookshelves. He looked in awe as he said, "Have you read all of these?"

Kagome smiled and said, "No, not all of them, but I've read about 80 percent of them. These are my medical books and I have final exams tomorrow. The person that called was my friend Sango. The girl I went shopping with the other day when you got hurt. She was asking to see how you were doing and I told her that you recovered nicely from your wound."

Inuyasha looked at her and said, "Did you tell her about us?"

Kagome looked away from him, lowered her head and said, "No, I haven't told her. I wanted to speak to my father first and see how he is going to take the news. I'm sure that after I speak to him the whole city will know that I'm to marry a hanyou."

Inuyasha looked at her with sadness in his eyes as he turned away from her and said, "Kagome, if this is going to cause you pain then we don't have to mate. The mark I gave you will go away in about two months and no one will ever know."

He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder as he turned to see Kagome standing next to him.

Kagome looked up into his eyes and said, "I don't care what other people think. I have been living here in the forest for a long time and I like it here. If they don't like who I have chosen as my husband then I don't have to take the thrown when the times comes. I can step down and live my life in peace with you."

Inuyasha looked at her and smiled, 'Now I know why I fell in love with her. She always seems to see the bright side to everything. It will be hard on both of us but we can live in peace and we can be happy together.'

He held her in an embrace then she pulled away from him and said, "I will have to go to school tomorrow. I have finals and then I will be done with my schooling to become a doctor."

Inuyasha looked at her in confusion as he said, "School?"

Kagome smiled and said, "Yes school, it's a place where we go to study to become experts in our fields. I have chosen to be a doctor because I want to heal everyone. Everyone deserves to be treated if they are injured or sick. I don't care if they're human, demon, or animal. I will take care of all of them. No one should have to suffer because of who they are. It's just not right."

Inuyasha smiled and said, "O.K. but I'm coming with you. You're not going there unprotected. If they tried to kill you once then they will try again and I want to be there to protect you."

Kagome looked at him with concern in her eyes as she said, "Inuyasha, I don't want you to get hurt again. Please, promise me that you will be careful when we go there. I don't think that I could handle you being hurt again." She looked away from him as a lone tear came out of her eyes.

Inuyasha saw her do this and he reached up with his hand to turn her head so he could look at her. He saw her tears and gently licked them away from her face. Then he said, "I promise to be careful, I'm not about to leave this world when I have you in my life."

oOo

The next day Kagome drove to her college with Inuyasha. He was walking her to her first class when they heard this male voice calling for Kagome. Kagome stopped as she turned towards the person that was calling her name and she sighed when she saw who it was.

It was Hojo and Inuyasha was not happy.

Inuyasha began to growl as this male approached his mate. Kagome touched his arm and told him to behave as she asked him to remember what she had told him that morning.

Inuyasha lowered his ears and stood behind her as he watched this, 'Hobo guy,' approach his mate.

Kagome put on a fake smile as she greeted him, "Hello Hojo."

Hojo came up to her and said, "Hi, Kagome, I was wondering if I could escort you to your fathers dinner party in a couple of weeks?"

Kagome smiled and said, "I'm sorry Hojo, but I'm already going with someone else."

Hojo looked disappointed as he asked, "Oh, you already have a date. Who is he?"

Kagome was irritated that he asked her such a personal question and said, "I don't think that's any of your business, Hojo. Who I go out with isn't your concern. Now if you would excuse me I have exams to take."

Kagome started to walk away as Hojo grabbed her by the arm and a growl came from the hanyou standing right behind her. Hojo looked up and for the first time he noticed that there was a slave with her. He kept his grip on her as he said, "Kagome, I see you finally got yourself a slave. Now you are one of us."

Kagome anger flared as she said, "I'll never be one of you! Now let go of my arm or Inuyasha will have the pleasure of ripping your head off!"

At this Inuyasha bared his fangs and flexed his claws as he eyed the guy holding his mate. When he wouldn't release her he lashed out with his claws and just barely missed as Hojo jumped out of the way.

Inuyasha was now standing in front of Kagome protecting her as Kagome rubbed her arm. She looked at him and said, "Hojo, let this be the last time you ever touch me. I have told you hundreds of times that I'm not interested in you. Now go away and leave me alone!"

Kagome turned and started to walk towards her class as she gently said, "Inuyasha, leave him, he's not worth your time."

Inuyasha heard her words as he turned and followed the girl to her class.

Hojo stood there eyeing the girl of his dream as he thought. 'You may reject me now but after the announcement is made at the dinner party you will have no choice but to learn how to love me. As for your slave he will be killed the moment we are married.'

Hojo turned and walked away as he saw his future fiancé walking away from him.

Kagome got to the building where she was to take her final exam as she turned to Inuyasha and said, "Inuyasha, I will be in here for a few hours. You can go into the forest over there and wait for me. When I'm done, I'll come looking for you."

Inuyasha saw her friend coming up behind her as he said, "As you wish master," and gave her a slight bow as he walked away from her heading for the forest.

Kagome stood there wondering why in the hell he had done that when she felt a familiar presence behind her and said, "How long have you been standing there, Sango?" She turned to find her friend standing there looking at her with interest.

Sango smiled and said, "Not long. I just walked up when I heard you say for him to wait for you in the forest. He has definitely changed from a few days ago. I see that he is obeying you now."

Kagome rolled her eyes and said, "Sango, I told you that I'm not like the others. I prefer for him not to call me that but it's a bad habit to break. But in time he will quit calling me master."

The girls turned and went into the building to take their final exam as Inuyasha watched from a tree branch in the forest. There he stood guard making sure that no one will harm his future mate.

oOo

Miroku, Shawn and Mike had finally made it out of the hotel room to go looking for Inuyasha. They had a late start, but now, they were on their way to find Inutaisho son. They hoped that it wouldn't be difficult to get him away from the girl. Miroku would hate to take him by force.

As they reached the college he turned to Mike and Shawn and said, "alright you two its time to put those noses of yours to work, see if you can find him. I know he's here somewhere."

Mike and Shawn got busy as they started to sniff the air. Shawn caught his scent and then said; "He's this way." They took off at a fast pace in search of Inuyasha.

Shawn stopped and signaled that they were close to where the hanyou was. The group slowed as they approached the area where they believed Inuyasha would be.

Inuyasha had been sitting in a tree relaxing when he caught a familiar scent in the wind. He growled as he stood up and looked down to see three men approaching where he was hiding.

'What are they doing here?' He thought as he eyed them from his perch.

When they were close enough to him he jumped from the tree and landed right in front of them as he growled.

Miroku, Shawn, and Mike were scared out of their minds when Inuyasha jumped right in front of them and he started to growl. Miroku being the first to recover from the scare took a few steps forward and said, "Inuyasha! We have finally found you!"

Inuyasha eyed Miroku and said with a growl, "What are you doing here, Miroku?"

Miroku raised his eyebrow and said, "Shouldn't that be obvious, we were sent by your father to find you and let me tell you my friend it hasn't been an easy task."

Inuyasha stood tall as he crossed his arms across his chest and said in an arrogant tone of voice, "My father is worried about me? Feh. That will be the day. But you can go back and tell him that I'm safe and that he doesn't have to worry about me."

Miroku eyed him as he tried to reason with the stubborn hanyou, "Inuyasha, you know that I can't do that. We have orders to bring you back with us. If you don't come back then your father will declare war on the humans here and millions will die. Not all of these humans deserve that fate. We know that you have been turned into a slave and we have come to set you free."

Inuyasha started to laughed and said, "I'm not a slave, well at least not anymore. I was freed a while back and I have chosen to stay here."

Miroku was taken by surprise by his comment as he said, "You were freed? And you chose to stay here? Why?"

Inuyasha huffed as he said, "I have my reasons." He turned and started to walk away from his companions.

Miroku held up his staff and said, "Inuyasha, you're aware that the girl you are staying with is the daughter to the King of the Southern Lands."

Inuyasha stopped and looked over his shoulder as he said, "Yes, I know who she is. Look, Miroku, go back and tell my father that I'm all right. Tell him that I will be back in a couple days with Shippo. I have to take care of a few things first and then I will leave." He said as he was walking deeper into the forest.

"Inuyasha, I know that you have been protecting this girl and that you were injured a few days ago. You're playing with fire if you think your father won't find out what you're doing." Said an agitated Miroku as he followed his friend trying to reason with him.

Miroku had to convince Inuyasha to go back home with them. His father didn't want to hear that he would be home in a few days.

Inuyasha had stopped walking and turned around to face his friend as he said, "I know what I'm doing. I will go back when I have taken care of my responsibilities. My father has always taught me that I'm responsible for my action and that I should never leave things undone. I will return once I have completed my task. If you want, then just one of you go back and inform my father that I'm all right and that I will be returning soon. The rest of you can stay in the forest where the girl lives."

Inuyasha looked at his friends and knew that this wouldn't be enough for them to leave. They were under orders to bring him back and they were about to carry out that order.

Miroku eyed his friend as he came to a decision. He had his orders and Inuyasha wasn't about to leave the girl. So Miroku had to force him to go home and see his father. He raised his staff as he pointed it at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha saw what his friend was about to do and jumped out of the way. He was not about to be captured by him and taken back to his father. He will leave when he was damn good and ready.

Shawn and Mike got on either side of him when he landed and Miroku was in front of him. Inuyasha started to growl as Miroku said, "I'm sorry Inuyasha but I have my orders, you're coming with us."

Miroku raised his staff and effectively ensnared Inuyasha in a binding spell.

Inuyasha tried to get out of the invisible ropes that his friend had put him in. They were about to grab him when they heard someone call the hanyou's name and they all turned to see who it was.

oOo

Kagome had come out of the building early. She had finished her exam and now she was done. She knew that she had passed with flying colors. Glad that the exams were over with she wanted to find Inuyasha, go home, and just enjoy his company.

When she looked in the direction of the forest she saw Inuyasha surrounded by three men. One of them was a monk and it looked like he had placed a binding spell on Inuyasha. She saw them getting closer to him as she yelled, "INUYASHA!" and ran towards him.

She saw them all turn towards her when she called his name as she stopped and said, "Heel boy!" Inuyasha came towards her as the subduing spell did its work. Once he was by her side she smiled at him and placed her hands on his body effectively breaking the spell.

Kagome then looked at the three intruders and said, "Why did you subdue him? He wasn't hurting anyone." Kagome got a closer look at them and saw the concealment spell, she closed her eyes and concentrated. When she opened her eyes she saw three demons in front of her.

Then Kagome narrowed her eyes and said, "Why would three demons subdue another? Your concealment spell is good but not something that I can't break to see the truth. Now tell me why you're after him?"

Miroku was shocked. This girl had gotten Inuyasha away from them, had broken his binding spell, and by the looks of it she could see right through their concealment spell.

Miroku approached the girl and said, "We have come to take him back home. His father has sent us looking for him. We can't leave without him or there will be hell to pay."

Kagome looked at him and then at Inuyasha and asked, "Is this true? Are they here because your father has sent them?"

Inuyasha looked away from her as he lowered his ears to his head and sighed, and then he said in a very low voice, "Yes"

Kagome looked at the ground. She didn't know what to do. She was heart broken because she knew that he wanted to stay but she also knew that he had to go back to his father. She looked up and then reached for the necklace around his neck, she pulled it with such force that she broke it.

Then she said, "I have broken the necklace, you are free to go home Inuyasha. If you would give me a couple of hours I will go get Shippo and bring him to you."

Kagome looked up into his hurt eyes, she reached up with her hand to caress his cheek as she said, "I love you Inuyasha and I know you have to go back. If it is meant for us to be together then I will see you again. If not, I have enjoyed our time together."

Inuyasha looked into her eyes and his heart was broken. He wanted to stay but his father was making things difficult for him. He lowered his head as he felt the pain in his heart, not knowing if he would be able to return to her. He didn't know what to do.

Kagome turned to the three demons that were standing there looking at them and said, "I will be back here in two hours time with his friend, please wait here for me."

Miroku agreed as he watched the girl walk away and he saw her crying. He turned to Inuyasha and said, "We need to get back into the forest and wait for the girl to return."

Miroku tried to place a hand on the hanyou's shoulder to comfort him but he shoved it away while he said, "Why couldn't you just leave me in peace. I was actually happy here with her and now she's gone." He turned and started to go into the forest to wait for Kagome to come back.

Shawn and Mike walked towards Miroku as they kept their eyes on the hanyou to see where he was going. Shawn said, "Um, Miroku, I think we should've left him here. The girl means a lot to him, he has made her his mate."

These words shocked Miroku from his thoughts as he said, "His mate?"

Shawn nodded his head indicating that he had heard correctly. "His scent is all over her and she carries his mark. You can barely see it on her right shoulder but its there. The scent tells the rest of us that she's his mate."

'No wonder he wanted to stay. Boy, I really know how to mess things up.' Thought Miroku with a groan as they all turned and headed into the forest to await Kagome's return.

oOo

Kagome was true to her word she had returned with Shippo in less than two hours time. She found them easily as she told Shippo that he was free to go home and then she broke his necklace as well.

Kagome turned to leave when Inuyasha came running up behind her and grabbed her in an embrace. Kagome turned to look into his eyes and said, "I love you, my Inuyasha." As she stood on the tip of her toes to reach his lips and kissed him goodbye.

Inuyasha was heart broken but he was determined to return. He lowered his head and said in her ear, "Kagome, I will come back for you. I love you and I want to be with you. I just want to make sure that my father won't attack your kingdom and kill all of the innocent people here."

Kagome smiled as she hugged him goodbye and then walked away from him not saying a word.

Miroku walked up behind Inuyasha and put a hand on his shoulder. The hanyou quickly turned around and shoved the hand off his shoulder as he growled viciously at him, "Keep your god damn hands off me! I will go back with you but you're not to touch me. Once I have settle my business with my father I'm coming back here to be with her."

Inuyasha turned away as Shippo climbed on his shoulders and held on tight. They started heading for home at full speed. He needed to get home as soon as possible so he could return to be with his Kagome.

oOo

All right the end to another chapter. Hope you all liked it. Nope I never told you what kind of demon Miroku is. It's a secret. You have to wait for the later chapters to find out. All I can tell you is that Miroku is a special demon and the only one of his kind. I don't want to say more or I will give my story away.

Remember to leave me a review to tell me what you think.

Things are going to get heated between Inuyasha and his father. The wolf demons will make their appearance and what will they do? You have to wait to find out.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Miroku, Shawn, and Mike were having a hard time keeping up with Inuyasha once they had left the girl. Inuyasha was traveling so fast that he seemed to be flying as he landed for just a brief second on a tree branch before taking off again. He was in a hurry to get home and they knew why.

Inuyasha was in deep thought as he traveled back to his home. He wanted to get there quickly and return to the girl. That same little nagging voice was back indicating that danger was coming and he needed to protect Kagome.

He had listened to this voice before and even though it had almost cost him his life. He had saved the girl from certain death. Now the voice was saying the he was on the verge of losing his mate and his demon side was getting upset. So much so that it was fueling his body to go faster so he could get done with his task and get back to the girl.

Inuyasha arrived at his father's castle in record time. He had left the others behind as he traveled with Shippo back home. He placed the kit on the ground and said, "alright Shippo your home now. I will see you later. I have to go and see my father."

The look on Inuyasha's face told Shippo that it wasn't going to be a cheerful reunion as he saw him climbing the stairs with great speed.

Inuyasha made it to his father's office as he stood outside his door. He took a deep breath and entered the room.

Inuyasha spotted his father as he was pacing back and forth in his nervous habit. He saw where the rug had been warn down as he finally stopped and looked up to see him.

oOo

Inutaisho stopped when he heard someone enter his office without knocking. He has been in the foulest of moods ever since his son had been taken away from him.

He loved his son even though he never showed it but he cared deeply for him like any parent would for their young.

He thought that he was imagining things when he had stopped and looked up to see his youngest son standing in the doorway. He blinked his eyes and caught his scent and knew that Miroku had succeeded in finding him.

He smiled as he said, "Inuyasha, my son, your finally home." As he started to walk toward his son in order to greet him.

Inutaisho saw the expression on his face and he stopped half way towards him and said, "Inuyasha? What's wrong? Why are you so angry?"

Inuyasha took a deep breath and then said in a low and deadly voice, "Why did you send Miroku after me?" as he stared at his father with all the anger he felt for having been pride away from his Kagome.

Inutaisho was taken back by his son's tone of voice as he said, "Why do you think I sent them? You were captured by the slavers and taken away. I knew how stubborn you can be and I feared that they might've hurt you so I sent them to find you, which I see they have."

"Then why didn't you say to find me and if I requested to be left alone for them to abide by my wishes and not yours. I was there because I didn't want to leave." Inuyasha said with a growl as he eyed his father and saw the shocked look on his face.

"YOU WHAT!" screamed Inutaisho at what his youngest son had said. 'He didn't want to leave! What makes him say this? Is he under some sort of spell that makes him want to stay where he was?'

Inuyasha ears just flatten on the top of his head at his father's sudden outburst. He thought it best to explain what he meant.

"Father, I was captured by the slaver and I almost died while they were trying to enslave me, but this girl came and got me out of the processing facility. She basically saved my life. She took me home with her, healed my wounds, feed me the best food I have ever eaten, and I had a room that was as comfortable as the one I have here." Inuyasha stared at his father and continued before he lost his nerve.

"I want to go back. I haven't finished my business there. There is danger coming and the girl is unprotected." He said with determination in his voice.

Inutaisho brought himself to his full height and said, "What business is it of yours? Who cares if the girl is unprotected? You're home now and that's all that matters to me," said his father as he casually waved his hand in the air to dismiss the thought that his son was having.

Inuyasha became enraged as he said, "I care that she's unprotected! I don't care what you think, I'm going back to her." He turned and walked away from his father clearly pissed because his father wouldn't listen to him, again.

Inutaisho was enraged at the way his son was acting, clearly they had done something to him that had warped his mind. He lashed out with his hand as a green light came out and effectively tied his son up preventing him from moving.

Inuyasha was struggling against the ropes that his father had placed around him. He fell to the floor as he stared up at his father and said, "Why are you doing this?"

Inutaisho looked at his son and said, "Clearly they have done something to warp your mind so you would want to stay there with them. You are to remain bounded until I can find someone that can remove the spell you are under."

Inuyasha became enraged as he said, "I'm not under any fucking spell! I'm not staying here and you can't make me!"

Inuyasha was struggling against the ropes that held him. He couldn't break them with his hanyou powers as he father went to get some guards to lock him in his room. He was losing control of his emotions as he started to get angry. 'I have to get back to Kagome! She's in danger and I'm not… about… to lose… my… mate!'

The word mate rang through his mind as he gave into his anger and let his demon side come out. His demon side wanted his mate and that's all he needed to be released.

Inuyasha eyes were turning red as his fangs and his claws grew longer, two purple stripes appeared on each side of his cheek. He was enraged as he broke the bonds and slowly stood on his feet.

Inutaisho had come back with some guards in order to move his son into his room until such time that the spell could be lifted. When he entered his office he saw that his son had broken the ropes that he had placed on him and he was shocked. 'No one has ever broken out of my bonds before.'

As they entered the room Inutaisho sniffed the air and noticed that his son's scent had changed. It was now the scent of a full youkai, not that of a hanyou.

He approached his son with care knowing that something was wrong as Inuyasha backed away from him and growled. His head was down and he saw his son flex his claws at him. He stopped as he eyed his son and said, "Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha was now a full demon and as such his desires were to get back to the girl. When his father had entered the room and started to get near him he backed away and growled.

Even in his demonic form he understood that he was the alpha male and he wouldn't attack him but he needed to leave. He growled and said, "I'm leaving! Now move out of my way or I'll make you move."

Inuyasha slowly looked up and that's when Inutaisho saw that his eyes were blood red.

He was in shock, he had locked away his son's demon blood a long time ago to prevent him from turning full youkai and now that spell has been broken. He needed to get him back to normal before he lost his son for good.

"Beta male! You are to stay here where we can help you!" said Inutaisho as he eyed his son retreating form. He was moving towards the window of his office, it was his only means of escape.

Inuyasha growled again and said, "No! I must find my mate!" Inuyasha then turned and ran towards the window as he leaped out and landed on the ground. He raced into the forest in search of his mate.

Inutaisho couldn't believe what just happened. His son had turned into his demon form and he was saying something about his mate. 'What in the hell is going on?'

At that moment Miroku, Shawn, and Mike came running into his office as Lord Inutaisho turned towards them and said, "Inuyasha has turned into his full youkai form and now he is saying something about a mate. Do any of you know what he is talking about?"

Miroku being the leader of the group said, "My Lord, did Inuyasha tell you anything about the girl he was with?"

Inutaisho looked at Miroku and said, "Only that there was danger coming and that he had to protect the girl. I told him that he didn't have to worry about that and for him to stay here."

Miroku sighed as he said, "Sir, I think you should sit down. This news might be a little bit hard for you to take."

Inutaisho eyed Miroku and then he seated himself behind his desk as Miroku proceeded to tell him everything he knew about where his son had been for the last month and the girl that he, apparently, made his mate.

Inutaisho listened to what Miroku had said. "Why didn't he tell me the truth about the girl if he was in love with her?"

Miroku sighed as he said, "When was the last time you have ever sat down and actually talked with your son?"

Inutaisho became enraged as he said, "I talk to my son!"

Miroku stood his ground, as he said, "No you don't, because if you ever did he would've told you about the girl. All you ever do is tell him what to do, where to go, what to wear. You never listen to him. I mean really listen to him when he talks.

Inuyasha thinks you don't care about him. He thinks that you only care about your desires and that his desires don't matter. So that's why he left to go after this girl. He really loves her and if I would've known that he had made her his mate I would've never had forced him to leave!" Said Miroku with anger in his voice. He wanted to get his point across to Lord Inutaisho.

Inutaisho couldn't believe that Miroku was talking to him in this manner. He never knew that his son felt this way.

He looked up from his desk and said, "Miroku, I want you to go after him and protect him. Make sure he doesn't get hurt and if he truly loves this girl then have him bring her here so I can meet her. If she is this special to him then I want to meet the girl that has captured the heart of my youngest son."

Miroku bowed as he left Inutaisho office to go after Inuyasha again, but at least this time he knew where he was going.

oOo

Kagome was sitting outside in the garden. When she had gotten home she had cried her heart out. Inuyasha was gone and she was heartbroken. She didn't know what she was going to do now that he was gone. She felt like a part of her was missing and that he was never going to come back.

She had stopped her crying long enough to come outside into the garden were she sat and looked up at the moon that was shinning so brightly in the night sky. The moon reminded her of Inuyasha hair and the way it looked when she had brushed it that one and only time. It was so smooth and silky to the touch. She sighed as she remembered every touch, every kiss she had ever shared with him. She loved him deeply.

As Kagome was sitting outside looking at the moon she felt a presence coming towards her. She knew this aura but it seemed a lot stronger than she had remembered it. She stood up as she took a couple of steps towards the forest as a lone figure came out of it and started to come towards her.

At first Kagome didn't know who was approaching her but then she saw the silver mane and she gasped as she said, "Inu… Inuyasha?"

The demon Inuyasha had come out of the forest. He was searching for his mate when he came upon the girl. He growled deep and menacing as she came closer to him.

Kagome knew it was Inuyasha but for some reason he didn't seem to recognize her. As she came closer to him she heard his growls of warning to stay away. She couldn't help herself she had to go to him. Something was wrong and she needed to help him. His soul was calling out to her for help, as she got closer.

Inuyasha had been growling at the girl in front of him and then he caught her scent. 'That scent, I recognize that scent,' as he growled and looked at the girl with interest.

When Kagome was close enough she noticed that there was something wrong with Inuyasha. His eyes were red and his fangs were longer, she saw two purple stripes on each side of his cheek. Then Kagome thought, 'Oh, no he must've turned into his full youkai form. I've heard stories that this could happen to hanyou's but what could've happened to make him turn full youkai?'

Kagome stopped right in front of him as she saw him sniff the air. Kagome stood very still as he made his way towards her. When Inuyasha got closer to Kagome he sniffed her and then he said, "Mate?"

Kagome smiled and said, "Yes," as Inuyasha came closer to her.

He then moved with such speed that Kagome didn't even notice when he had knocked her down and pinned her to the ground.

Inuyasha pulled at the top of her shirt until he ripped the garment to expose her shoulder. He sniffed her neck as he licked his mating mark and then he said with a growl, "My Mate Mine!" and began purring with delight at finding his mate.

Kagome started to moan as she felt his hot tongue on her neck then she felt when he bit into her shoulder again. She suppressed her yell as she felt him release her shoulder and then he began to lick her wound. He started purring again while he was still saying, "My Mate Mine!"

'Oh no! That purr will make me fall asleep. I have to stay awake long enough to calm Inuyasha and return him to normal.' She thought as it was having its affect on her.

Inuyasha had released her wrists. He had her pinned with his body as he laid on top of her. He was enjoying her neck as his hands started to roam up and down her body and Kagome was reacting to his touch.

Kagome breath hitched as she thought, 'Oh Kami, this feels so good but I have to keep my mind on what I have to do. I have to return Inuyasha to normal.' Her hand went up to his ears and she gently scratched them.

Inuyasha had closed his eyes as he felt the girl underneath him reach up and rub his ear. It relaxed him as he started to purr even more at what she was doing. When he opened his eyes again he was back to normal as he looked up and noticed that Kagome was underneath him.

Kagome smiled weakly at him and then fell asleep in his arms no longer being able to resist the spell he was putting on her to relax and sleep.

Inuyasha was confused, 'How in the hell did I get here?' He looked down and noticed that Kagome was asleep in his arms and he was purring again.

Then he saw her torn shirt and saw the bite mark on her neck. 'I must've done that when I found her. I guess my demon side decided that he was the one that was going to mark her.'

Inuyasha rose up from the ground as he brought Kagome with him. He walked back into the house with his sleeping mate curled up in his arms. He went to her room and placed her on her bed as he made a sweep of the house. When he was satisfied that there were no intruders he went back to her room and laid down next to her.

He hugged her tight in his embrace as he curled his body around her and buried his nose in her hair. Her scent always made him calm as he finally fell asleep.

oOo

Miroku and Shawn were traveling as fast as they could but the demon Inuyasha was proving to be faster than they could travel. They had left Mike behind because he couldn't travel at the speed in which they needed to travel to keep up with Inuyasha.

Miroku and Shawn had stopped on a tree branch as they caught their breath and Miroku asked, "How far ahead is he? Are we even getting close to him yet?"

Shawn sniffed the air and said, "We are getting close, he apparently has stopped somewhere up ahead."

They both took off again as Shawn followed Inuyasha scent deeper into the forest. They arrived at the place where the girl lived and they heard someone talking up ahead. They approached the area being careful to be down wind from where Inuyasha was. They had no desire for him to attack them if he knew they were there.

When they looked through a bush they saw the demon Inuyasha growling at the girl who was trying to reach him.

Miroku tried to get up to go help the girl but Shawn put a gentle but firm hand on his shoulder and told him to watch.

Miroku did as he was told and watched as the girl stopped and the demon Inuyasha sniffed the air. They had heard him say, "Mate?" and they heard the girl's response to his question. Inuyasha moved with such speed that Miroku almost had a heart attack when he saw the demon pin the girl to the ground.

Shawn had to restrain Miroku from going to the girls aid as he whispered into his ear, "Watch." Miroku watched with interest as he saw the hanyou rip the shirt to expose the girls shoulder and then sniff the area. He saw him start to lick her shoulder as he was saying, "My Mate Mine!"

Miroku couldn't believe what he was seeing. The demon Inuyasha knew the girl was his mate and didn't even hurt her. Miroku heard as the girl moan with desire from the attention she was getting. Then he saw Inuyasha bite into her shoulder as he slowly released her and started to purr again, as he continued to lick her neck and shoulder in delight.

Miroku saw as Kagome reach up and gently rubbed his ear as he started to purr even louder and they saw when she returned Inuyasha back to normal. They both breathed a sigh of relief when they saw this. The girl had managed to calm him enough for him to return to his old self.

They saw him get up with the girl in his arms as he headed toward the house and entered it.

Miroku turned his attention to Shawn and said, "Do you mind explaining what just happened out there? How did you know he wouldn't hurt her?"

They both sat up as Shawn took a deep breath and tried to explain. "The hanyou Inuyasha had marked the girl as his mate and his demon side knew this. But the hanyou Inuyasha scent was weak.

I knew that he wouldn't harm her because he was hell bent on finding his mate. When he found her he gave her another mating mark, which has a stronger scent. In this way if she is ever taken away from him he will be able to follow her because his scent would be stronger."

Miroku looked at Shawn in awe as he said, "How do you know all this? You're not a hanyou."

Shawn laughed and said, "No, I'm not, but I am an Inu youkai and I know how the demon bloods works. I knew he wouldn't hurt her but he wouldn't have hesitated to hurt us if we got in his way. I suggest that we leave them alone for tonight. We can talk to them in the morning about returning with us."

Miroku agreed to his request as they both settled down to rest. They have traveled long and hard today. They didn't want to get into another fight with Inuyasha and make his demon side come out again.

He would prefer to talk to the girl alone, if at all possible, and convince her and Inuyasha to come back with them. It will not be easy but they had to at least try.

oOo

Kagome awoke the next morning with Inuyasha curled up around her as if she was going to leave him. He had his arms wrapped around her waist, her back pressed against his chest, as he was gently breathing in and out. His head was buried in her hair and it was tickling her. She started to giggle at the nice warm feeling it gave her as Inuyasha started to purr and brought her closer to him.

Kagome tried to get out of bed and all she got for her effort was a low growl protesting her movement. Inuyasha wasn't about to give up his nice warm body as he brought her back to him and held her even tighter.

Kagome sighed as she thought, 'How am I going to get him to release me.' Then she got an idea as she rolled over and casually draped her arm around his chest to let it rest on his back as she snuggled closer to him.

Inuyasha feeling that she had settled back down next to him smiled inwardly as he brought her closer to him.

Kagome had other plans in mind as she started to move her fingers up and down his back in a gentle motion causing him to hitch his breath as she continued. She smiled when she felt him shiver as she continued to tickle his back.

Inuyasha finally couldn't take it any more as he briefly released her and Kagome took the opportunity to get out of bed.

Inuyasha's eyes snapped open when he saw that the girl was laughing at him as she made a dash for the door.

Inuyasha being in a playful mood gave chase as he chased her from her room throughout the house.

You could hear the laughter coming from inside the house as Kagome opened the door and race out of the house with a very irritated hanyou following close behind her. She made it into the forest as she tried to hide from him.

Inuyasha succeeded in finding her hiding place as he pounced on her and they fell in a heap on the ground. He looked into her eyes as he said, "So you thought that was funny? Tickling me to get me to let go of you and then running out here so you can hide."

Kagome stopped her laughing long enough to answer his question, "Yes, that was very funny. If you weren't holding me so tight then I would've been able to get up and go do some training, but you saw it fit just to lay in bed and then you expected me to stay there with you."

Inuyasha looked at her in disbelief, "Of coarse I expected you to stay with me bitch, who else would I want to be with?"

Kagome raised her eyebrow at the word he used and Inuyasha saw this. He was afraid that he had offended her as he released her after seeing the anger in her eyes.

Kagome sat up as she looked at Inuyasha and said, "Inuyasha, don't you ever call me a bitch! I may be a lot of thing but I'm certainly not a bitch!"

Inuyasha looked at her with confusion written all over his face, then he grabbed her and kissed her passionately. She started to fight because she was still mad at him for calling her a bitch. He held her even tighter in his lap as she finally gave into his kiss. He slowly lowered her back to the ground, never breaking from the kiss they were enjoying.

When Inuyasha finally released her he looked into her eyes and said, "Kagome, you are a bitch, a bitch to me is my female and mine alone." As he lowered his head and nuzzled her under her chin.

Kagome turned bright red from embarrassment as she finally remembered the other meaning to the word bitch, 'a female dog.' She looked up at Inuyasha and tried to explain her reactions to the word.

"Inuyasha, I'm sorry but that word has other meanings too. It could mean malicious, spiteful, or a domineering woman. I forgot that you're a dog demon and a bitch sometimes means a female dog." She lowered her head in embarrassment as she heard Inuyasha laugh at what she had said.

"Kagome, you have to remember that a lot of the things I say means something totally different to me, than it would for you. So don't get mad before you think things through on their meaning." Inuyasha chuckled as he held her tighter and then kissed her once again.

Inuyasha was really enjoying his kiss with Kagome. He had moved his hand up her shirt and was caressing her stomach. He heard a noise in the forest and he snapped his head up trying to find the intruders.

He picked up a scent that he didn't like as he got off the girl and said in a very dangerous voice, "Miroku, Shawn I want you two to come out here where I can see you. If you don't then I'll be forced to come and get you and your not going to like what I'm going to do to you."

Miroku and Shawn looked at each other as they slowly got up from behind a bush and stared at the face of an enraged hanyou. They knew they were in for it when they saw how mad he was.

Miroku tried to explain, "Um, Inuyasha, its not what your thinking, we weren't spying on you we came here with a message from your father.

If anything could have made Inuyasha any angrier it was the mention of his father. He started to growl viciously as he got ready to attack, then Kagome reached up and started to massage his ear and the growls started to turn into purrs.

Miroku and Shawn looked relieved when they heard the purr coming from the hanyou. "Thank you, we didn't know what we were going to do if he attacked us. We really do have a message from his father." Miroku said with a big sigh, glad to be alive at the moment.

Kagome eyed the two in front of her with interest as she looked at them and said, "What could be so important that you would risk his wrath to bring it here? I know that he has already talked to his father. So what does he want now? Does he want to cause his son more pain because of me?"

Inuyasha had heard her words and it hurt him deeply. She thought that she was the cause of his fathers anger as he said, "Kagome, you're not to blame for what happened between me and my father. We have never seen eye to eye on anything and this time it's no different."

Kagome heard Inuyasha speak to her and she had stopped rubbing his ear, when he was done she said, "If I'm not the cause of the problem between you and your father then what could he want now?"

Inuyasha and Kagome both turned their attention to Miroku.

Miroku saw the question in their eyes as he walked over to them and sat down and tried to explain what had happen.

"Inuyasha, when you left your fathers office you had said something about finding your mate. Your father heard this and when we entered his office he asked me what was going on. I told him everything I knew about the girl and that you cared deeply for her."

Inuyasha was shocked that Miroku had done this. He listened as Miroku told him everything he had told his father.

When Miroku was finished with his story Inuyasha then said, "I'm surprised you're still alive after what you said to my father. He can be more stubborn than me when it comes to things like this. He never listens whenever I talk and that's why we have drifted so far apart from each other."

Kagome was hearing everything that was being said, she felt that this was a conversation that they needed to have in private as she started to get up to leave.

Inuyasha saw her getting up as he grabbed her wrist and said, "Kagome? Where are you going?" He was hurt that she was going to leave him alone with is friends.

Kagome looked at him and smiled as she said, "I think this is something that you two should talk about. I'm not needed in this conversation. I'm going to go and get ready to leave, I want to check the boundaries to the land. I will see you later."

She leaned over and kissed him as she tried to stand to leave but Inuyasha wasn't about to let her go. That nagging feeling was back and there was danger somewhere, he wasn't about to let her go anywhere by herself.

Miroku saw what was happening and then he said, "Um, Kagome, the message I bring is for you."

Inuyasha looked at Miroku with shock in his eyes he couldn't believe that his father would be sending Kagome a message.

Kagome sat back down and then she asked, "What kind of message could he possibly send me?"

Miroku took a deep breath and then he said, "He wants you to come and visit. He says that he wants to meet the girl that has stolen the heart of his youngest son. This is a request not a command and I have to tell you that he doesn't know that you're Princess Kagome heir to the thrown of the Southern Lands."

Inuyasha eyes grew big as his temper started to flare and said, "You didn't tell him that she was the princess? But you can tell him everything else about my life!"

Miroku held up his hands as he waved them in front of him trying to calm the enraged hanyou down. "Now, now Inuyasha I did smooth things over for you but I think that this is something that you two need to tell him."

Kagome once again reached over and started to rub Inuyasha ears as he started to purr. Then he pulled away from her and said, "I wish you quit doing that!"

Kagome just looked at him and said, "I wouldn't have to do that if you could control your temper or do I have to put another necklace around your neck?"

Inuyasha's eyes about fell out of his head as he said, "You wouldn't dare?"

Kagome looked at him and as she partially closed her eyes to glare at him and she said in a menacing voice, "Try me!"

Inuyasha ears went flat against his head as he yielded to her and whimpered. He knew that she could do it so he had to be careful with his temper if he didn't want another necklace around his neck.

Kagome saw Inuyasha submit to her and this pleased her. She didn't want to put the necklace back on around his neck if he could control his temper but if he couldn't then she would have no choice if he protested having his ears rubbed.

Kagome turned her attention to Miroku who was sitting there with a smile on his face. He had witnessed the confrontation between them and then she said, "When would he like me to visit?"

Miroku was snapped back to reality as he said, "Whenever it's convenient for you."

Kagome thought for a few minutes and then turned to Inuyasha and asked, "Inuyasha, your home is to the west of here, correct?"

Inuyasha nodded his head to her indicating that it was correct. Kagome thought for a few minutes and then asked, "Is your home anywhere near the forbidden lands?"

Inuyasha sighed as he said, "It's on the other side of the forbidden lands." He knew he wasn't going to be able to stop her from going to see his father.

Kagome stood up and then leaned down and said in Inuyasha's ear, "Koi, could I speak to you in private?"

Inuyasha smiled, he loved it when she called him that, as he stood and they started to head towards the house. Inuyasha looked over his shoulder as he was walking and said, "We'll be back in a few minutes. I want you to wait for us."

Miroku inclined his head towards Inuyasha indicating that he understood. He then turned his attention to Shawn who was sitting very quietly not even saying a word throughout the whole conversation he was having with the couple.

He looked at him and said, "Shawn, why didn't you say anything? I could've used some help you know."

Shawn just smiled and said, "You were doing so well by yourself that I didn't have anything to say. But I will say this. That girl has him figured out to the letter. She knows how to calm him when he gets out of hand and her miko powers must be powerful if even he backs down and submitted to her when she threaten to put another necklace around his neck."

Miroku laughed as he said, "You do have a point. She is powerful and she radiates a certain power that even I can't refuse her request."

They both sat in silence waiting for Inuyasha to return with an answer to see if they were going to go with them back to the Western Lands.

oOo

Kagome walked into the house with Inuyasha following close behind her. She stopped and then turned towards him as she asked, "Inuyasha, why don't you want me to go and see your father? Are you ashamed of who I am?" Said Kagome as she lowered her head. She couldn't bear to see the expression on his face as she said this.

Inuyasha couldn't believe what she had said, "Kagome, I'm not ashamed of you. I love you. It's just that my father wanting to see you is a little too much for me to take right now. He has never shown any interest in anything I do, that for him to request this is unusual."

Kagome looked up and said, "So, if I said I'm willing to go and see him will you be mad at me?"

Inuyasha stepped forward and brought her into his arms and said, "No, I wouldn't be mad at you. As a matter of fact I would be honored if you met him. That way you would know for yourself if he would object to a union between us. Not that I care. I still want to mate with you but it would be better if he gave his consent."

Kagome was listening to what he was saying as she slowly wrapped her arms around his waist and brought him closer to her. She felt safe in his arms and she wanted to be with him even if their parents objected to the union.

Kagome looked up and said, "Thank you, at least I know how you feel about all this. I want to visit him but I also want to go and check the barrier. They are getting weak because slavers have been coming into the land and taking demons again so I have to reinforce them. We can do both as we travel. The boarders of the protected lands and the forbidden lands meet to the west so once I have checked those then we can go and see your father. Once we leave there then I can check the rest."

Inuyasha looked down and smiled at her as he agreed to her request and then he kissed her. When they pulled apart she said, "I want to eat something before we go. Why don't you go and get your friends and I will fix all of us some breakfast before we leave."

Inuyasha smiled at the thought of food and then frowned at the thought of having to share it with Miroku and Shawn.

Kagome looked at him with a raised eyebrow at the expression he had on his face. He sighed and then went outside to get his friends so they could eat and then leave to go visit his father.

Inuyasha walked back outside to where his friends were sitting. He told them of the plan to go and check the barrier around the protected lands and then head west to visit his father.

Shawn and Miroku were happy to hear this and even more happy that Kagome was fixing them all something to eat. Inuyasha's ears perked up as he said, "Foods ready we should go in and eat before it gets cold."

All three of them walked towards the house to get some of that wonderful smelling food that they were sniffing.

oOo

Out in the forest there had been another set of ears that was listening to everything the hanyou was saying. He turned and headed back towards his pack to inform his leader of the girls plan so they could get ready.

The spy arrived back at the wolf demons cave as he approached Kouga with his news, "Kouga, the girl has plans to leave and check the barriers around the protected lands then she is heading west to visit someone."

Kouga sat there and listened to what his spy had to say then he thought, 'hmm, with her leaving her home it should be easy enough to overpower her escorts, grab her, and bring her back here so I could make her my woman.'

He continued to think as he formed a plan then he said to his spy, "I want you to go and tell Kusco that we are moving today to get the girl. Tell her to meet us by the cliffs if she wants to capture the hanyou.

The protected lands go in that direction so the girl is sure to follow that route. We will attack and separate them from the girl, and then we grab her and bring her back here. It should be simple enough and we shouldn't have any problems in getting her if Kusco does her part."

The spy bowed as he left the cave to relay the message to Kusco. Kouga just sat there thinking about the girl in the picture and how he was going to make her his woman by the end of the day.

He got up and gathered his men together as they headed out to plot the kidnapping of the girl that they wanted him to kill.

oOo

Kusco was standing outside of the processing facility as she was receiving a shipment of demons. She looked up in time to see a messenger arrive from Kouga's pack as she turned and headed in his direction to see what he wanted.

The messenger quickly told her about the plan to capture the girl today and told her where the ambush was going to be.

Kusco got a big smile on her face as she told him that she would be there with her people to capture the hanyou. The messenger left and Kusco turned and walked back to the facility, happy that she was getting her sex toy back today.

oOo

Kagome, Inuyasha, Miroku and Shawn left her house after they had finished breakfast. She couldn't believe how much food three demons could eat. She had made a big breakfast enough to feed 10 people and it was just barely enough to feed the four of them.

After breakfast she had gone to change and put something on that would allow her to travel easily through the forest. She had on some black leggings, a red T-shirt and short black boots. She would be using her miko powers to enhance her muscles so they could travel quickly through the area.

So now they were traveling with speed as she was checking all of the wards that protected the lands. She re-enforced them as she went giving them more power to prevent the slavers from coming onto the land.

Miroku and Shawn were having a hard time keeping up with the girl and Inuyasha. They were moving so fast through the forest that they almost lost them a couple of times. They couldn't understand how the girl could move so fast and so quickly.

They finally slowed down when they came to the cliffs as Inuyasha was starting to get an uneasy feeling about the place. His senses were going wild as he sensed danger and he moved closer to Kagome to protect her.

Kagome saw what he was doing and opened up her senses to see if she could detect any impending danger up ahead. She gasped as she caught the aura of wolves surrounding them. She looked at Inuyasha and said, "Inuyasha, there are wolves everywhere. They are surrounding us and they plan on attacking."

No sooner had she said this as the wolf demons attacked the small group.

Inuyasha was at Kagome side protecting her as Miroku and Shawn fought with the wolves that were attacking. They made a break to where the hanyou and the girl were standing and effectively separated the pair.

Kouga came rushing in and grabbed the girl. He threw her over his shoulder as he proceeded to run away with his captive.

Kagome seeing that she was being taken away screamed at the top of her lungs, "INUYASHA!"

Inuyasha quickly turned to see that his mate was being taken away as she was fighting with the wolf that held her. He saw the wolf stop and put the girl down as he struck her with the back of his hand and she fell limp in his arms. He threw her over his shoulder again as he yelled for his men to get the hell out of the cliffs.

The wolves retreated as Inuyasha became enraged at seeing his mate being taken away. He was about to go after her when he caught the stench of that wench from the processing facility.

Kusco came out of the forest ready to do battle as she eyed the object of her affection.

Inuyasha was beginning to lose control as the wench said, "Why hello my handsome hanyou. Have you missed me? I have come back to take you to the processing facility" she said as she licked her lips at him.

Inuyasha was not about to be captured by her again. His mate was in danger and he had to get to her. He was growling so loud that Miroku and Shawn had appeared at his side to help him defeat this wench.

Kusco eyed the new demons that arrived to stand next to the hanyou and said, "Oh, more toys for me to play with. I shall capture you two as well and bring you back to the processing facility."

Shawn moved closer to Inuyasha and said in an urgent voice, "Inuyasha, you need to get away from here as fast as possible. Kouga has your mate and he means to make her his woman. That wench in front of us put him up to it in order for the slavers to stay away from his pack. She wants him to kill the girl but he wants to make her his woman. The cave is located about 25 miles north of here behind a waterfall."

Inuyasha inclined his head at the information he was given. His demon blood was beginning to boil at the thought of someone else mating with his mate. He was losing control as his eyes started to turn red.

Kusco didn't waste any time as she threw a subduing necklace at the hanyou while he was momentarily distracted. It landed around his neck as she said 'SIT!'

Inuyasha went down as his rage took over at not being able to move. His eyes turned completely red, as his fangs and his claws grew longer, and two stripes appeared on each side of his cheeks. He was fighting against the spell. His need to go to his mate was fueling his rage as he slowly started to get up from the ground.

Kusco was approaching the hanyou as he laid on the ground in front of her. Her eyes grew big when she saw him getting up from the ground. She said, "SIT" but it didn't have any effect on him as he rose off the ground and stared at her.

His eyes were blood red as he reached up and pulled the necklace off his neck. He flexed his claws as he said, "So you were the one that had my mate taken away from me. I will make sure that you never hurt anyone ever again." He growled as he was going towards them.

Miroku and Shawn saw what the demon Inuyasha was about to do and Miroku said, "Inuyasha, you need to go after Kagome before Kouga makes her his mate. We will take care of these intruders for you!" He had hoped that this would be enough to get him to leave and go after the girl.

Inuyasha growled as he turned and left the area in a blur following the scent of his mate towards the wolf's den.

Miroku and Shawn turned their attention toward the slavers in front of them and said, "We have just saved your lives. He would've killed you if we didn't remind him of his mate. But don't think that this is over, we will make sure that you will never torture any more demons." Then they both started to advance towards the slavers.

Kusco was shocked, never before had a demon been able to break a subduing necklace and this hanyou broke it with no problem. Now they were facing the other two demons that remained behind to take care of them. She turned and started to run back towards the forest with her men following closely behind her.

Miroku and Shawn looked at their retreating form as they smiled at each other. Then they turned serious as Miroku said, "Shawn, do you think you can either remember where the wolf's cave is or can you follow Inuyasha's scent?"

Shawn turned towards his friend and said, "Both, I know I can find it but his scent is a lot easier to follow. We better get going if we are to help him save the girl."

Miroku nodded his agreement as he followed Shawn through the forest. They were racing against time to save the girl from a life of misery of being a mate to a wolf demon.

oOo

That's the end to another chapter. I hope that you all liked it.

Inuyasha, Miroku, and Shawn are racing through the forest to find Kagome. Will they arrive in time to save her from a life of misery or will she be mated to the wolf demon. You have to wait for the next chapter to find out.

Remember to leave a review and tell me what you thing. I love hearing from all of you. I will update soon with another chapter.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	9. Chapter 9

This chapter contains a rape scene. Even though it's not really graphic, if you don't like this type of writing then I suggest you skip this chapter. You have been warned.

Chapter 9

Kouga was running through the forest with the girl on his shoulder, she was light and she didn't slow his pace down in the least bit. His men were following him back to the den as they got away from the area where the enraged hanyou was.

He had recognized him once he saw him, he was Inuyasha and his father was none other than the Lord of the Western Lands. If he had known that it was him they were after, he would've never attacked and helped that bitch to capture him. But the deed was done and there was nothing he could do about it.

As he figured it, they should have him at the processing facility by now in chains.

They arrived back at the den and the girl had yet to awaken. He told his men that he wanted a little privacy in the den so he can get acquainted with his new woman.

His men laughed at his request as they all moved out of the cave to give the two lovebirds their time to get acquainted.

Kouga stepped into the cave and walked back to his sleeping pallet and laid the girl down on the soft furs. He moved her hair away from her face as he gazed upon her beauty. She was even more beautiful than in her picture as he eyed her with interest. He will wait until she woke up before he started the mating ritual and make her his woman.

He got an evil smile as he thought about what he was going to do to her. He was really going to enjoy this. He was going to get his revenge on the humans and this girl was going to pay for it for the rest of her life.

Any pups that would be born between them will be killed. He won't have any half-breeds running around his pack. His pack was pure and he was going to keep it that way.

Kagome started to wake up from being knocked unconscious. She slowly opened her eyes as she tried to focus on her surroundings. She could feel that she was lying on some soft furs. Her eyes came into focus and she noticed that she was in some kind of cave.

Kouga was sitting by the fire waiting for the girl to wake up. He saw her stir as he watched her open her eyes. Her eyes were the most amazing blue he had ever seen. He had the feeling that he had seen her somewhere before but he couldn't place where they had met.

Kagome started to sit up as she held her head to make the world stop spinning around her. When she finally got her focus she noticed a wolf demon sitting across from her by the fire.

She quickly became alert as she looked around the cave and saw that they were the only ones inside it. This was not good. This only meant one thing that he wanted other things from her that she wasn't willing to give. She looked at him and then she recognized him as the demon she had saved a while back from the slavers. She was in her priestess disguise so he wouldn't recognize her but she remembered him.

She looked at him and then said, "Why have you brought me here? And where's Inuyasha?"

Kouga just looked at her and flatly said, "If you mean that half breed you were traveling with, I would guess that he has been captured by the slavers and taken back to the processing facility by now. As to why you're here, well let's just say that they wanted me to kill you in order to subdue him."

This news shocked Kagome as tears started to form in her eyes, 'they have captured him again, oh no! If Kusco gets a hold of him then she could kill him for not submitting to her. I broke the necklace he was wearing so they can place another one on him and subdue him again.'

Kagome was loosing the battle with her tears as she said, "You have to let me go! They will kill him if he doesn't submit to them. I can't let that happen!"

Kouga just smiled at her and said, "You're not going anywhere. You are going to stay here with me and become my woman. It's better than me killing you right?"

Kagome was shocked to hear his words as she said with anger in her voice, "I'm not going to be your woman! I belong to someone else and he's the one that I want to be with, not you!"

Kouga just laughed at her remark as he slowly got up from his place and made his way over to where she was sitting.

Kagome heart began to race as she saw him coming towards her. She had to fight him even if it meant him knowing that she was a miko. She got up from the ground as she saw him getting closer to her. Her fear was getting the best of her as she started to back away from him.

Kouga smelled the fear that was coming from the girl and this pleased him. It only meant that he would be able to over power her and make her his woman. He started to go towards her as she continued to move away from him. Soon she came in contact with the caves wall as he rushed in and grabbed her by her upper arms and held her against the wall.

He leaned down to kiss her neck and that's when he noticed the scent. He released his grip on her right arm and then pulled the shirt away from her neck. He tore the shirt in his haste to see where that scent was coming from and that's when he saw the mating mark on her shoulder.

Kouga looked at her and said, "So, you have been claimed by another. Well it won't matter to me. Once I have had my way with you I will mark you as my own and then you will belong to me."

Kouga tried to mark her shoulder but Kagome was proving to be a fighter. She was struggling in his grasp as he grabbed her hair and yanked her head the other way to expose her neck and shoulder to him. When his fangs touched her skin he was thrown back with such force that he hit the wall on the opposite side of the cave.

He looked up with anger in his eyes as he saw the mating mark on her shoulder glow bright yellow. It had protected the girl from his touch. Well, it didn't matter to him once he gets done with her she will be his and her current mate couldn't do a damn thing about it.

oOo

Inuyasha was racing through the forest following his mate scent. He felt a pull as he was feeling her fear. His heart raced at the thought of another touching his mate.

Then he felt a power being released. He smiled to himself knowing that the asshole that had taken his mate just got a taste of his youkai for touching her. He knew that his mark could only protect her for so long as he continued to pick up his speed to reach his mate in time to save her.

oOo

Kagome had fallen to her knees after the blast had sent Kouga to the other side of the cave. Inuyasha mating mark had save her this time from his advance. But she knew that it was only temporary and it could only protect her for so long. She needed to get out of the cave as soon as possible and she had to find Inuyasha.

Kagome looked up in time to see that Kouga was making his way towards her again. She got up and ran as fast as she could to the cave entrance.

Kouga tackled her from behind as she fell face first into the ground, with Kouga landing right on top of her. The air had been knocked out of Kagome's lungs as she found it hard to breathe. His weight was pinning her down to the ground as she tried to breath in some much needed air. She felt when Kouga roll her over and look into her eyes.

Kagome began to struggle as he hit her across the face with such force that it almost knocked her unconscious again.

Kouga picked her up and then threw her back on his sleeping pallet as he pinned her there and started to kiss her on the lips.

Kagome closed her eyes in disgust as Kouga kissed her. She had no desire to kiss him so she kept her mouth shut.

Kouga nipped at her lower lip asking for access and she denied him. He became enraged as he bit her lower lip and Kagome opened her mouth to scream. Kouga took the opportunity to explore her with his tongue as he kept her mouth open making sure that she didn't bite him.

Kagome fought against his grip as she felt him rubbing himself against her making his member come alive. She needed to get him off her before he made her do something that she didn't want to do. She got an idea as she raised her right knee with such force that she jammed it right into his balls.

Kouga let out a howl of pain as he fell off Kagome and landed in a fetal position holding his jewels.

Kagome being freed from his weight quickly got up and tried to leave the cave before anything else could happen to her.

Kouga got his wind back as he was doubled over in pain, 'that bitch just kicked me, I will make her regret what she did to me,' he thought as he got off the ground and went after her.

Kagome had almost made it to the cave entrance when she was grabbed from behind and got pulled back into the cave. She went flying through the air as she hit the ground rolling from the impact of being thrown. She landed on her back as she opened her eyes to see Kouga coming towards her again. She tried to get up but she couldn't as he was now in front of her with angry eyes.

Kouga was towering over her as he grabbed her by the shirt and started to slap her face leaving a trail of blood coming from her mouth. He dragged her back to his sleeping pallet as he used his claws to rip her clothes off.

Kagome started to scream at the top of her lungs as she was trying to fight him, she wanted him to get off her. He was stronger than she was even with her miko powers enhancing her muscle she still couldn't break out of his grip.

Kouga was now on top of her as he had her pinned to the ground with her hands over her head, she couldn't move her legs anymore to injure him. He saw her nipples standing at attention from the cold air in the cave and he released one of his hands in order to grab her breast. He grabbed it with such force that his claws dug into her flesh. Making Kagome scream out in pain. He then reached down and bit her.

Kagome screamed as the blood started to come from the wound that the wolf had made. He looked at her with lust filled eyes as he started to lap up the blood. He enjoyed the metallic taste of her blood as it went down his throat. He used his claws to make deep gashes in her skin as she continued to fight against him.

Kagome was just about at her wits end when she screamed at the top of her lungs for the only person that could possibly save her before he did something she didn't want to do, "INUYASHA!"

oOo

Inuyasha had almost made to the wolves den when he smelled the blood of his mate. His demon blood began to boil at the thought of anyone hurting her. He rushed into the clearing as he was surrounded by the wolf demons.

Inuyasha flexed his claws and then said with a growl, "Where is she? Where is my mate?"

The wolves just laughed at him and then one of them said, "Oh, she's having fun with our leader right now and they don't want to be disturbed."

Inuyasha's ears twitched as he heard a blood-curdling scream come from Kagome from somewhere inside the cave, but he couldn't find the cave entrance. He became enraged as he lashed out at his enemy trying to find where they have taken his mate.

At that moment Miroku and Shawn raced into the clearing to help Inuyasha fight the wolves. Shawn made his way towards the hanyou and yelled, "Inuyasha! She's in the cave behind the waterfall hurry before its too late and he kills her!"

Inuyasha didn't have to be told twice as he left the battle to them and rushed into the cave behind the waterfall. His senses went wild, as he smelled Kagome's blood everywhere then he heard her scream his name, "INUYASHA!"

He ran toward the back of the cave and what he saw drove him over the edge.

Kouga was about to have his way with his mate and she was a bloody mess, she was bleeding from all the cuts and bite marks that were on her body.

Inuyasha yelled, "GET OFF MY MATE YOU BASTARD!"

Kouga was surprised that there was someone else in the cave with them as he looked up from his soon to be mate with blood coming out of his mouth. What he saw made his eyes go wide as he saw a demon with blood red eyes coming towards him with extended claws.

Kouga quickly got off the girl as the demon landed right in front of her defending her as his own. He started to growl and flex his claws at the bastard that had hurt his mate.

Kouga eyed the demon and then said, "Who in the hell are you? And what are you doing in my cave?"

Inuyasha's only answer to him was a quick attack as he slashed him across his chest with his claws.

Kouga had moved quickly out of the way, if he hadn't he would've been dead right now. He now knew that this guy meant business and that he would have to fight him in order to finish what he was doing with the girl.

The two were locked in battle as they each landed their blows on their opponents.

Inuyasha had about enough of this wolf as he grabbed him by his throat and said, "This is what you get for messing with my mate."

Kouga eyes grew big when he heard his words. This was the hanyou that they were supposed to capture back at the cliffs. This was the son to the Lord of the Western Lands.

These were his last thoughts as Inuyasha fist went right through his stomach and came out the other side as the wolf crumbled to the ground.

Inuyasha was panting hard as he finished off the wolf demon. He turned his attention to his mate as he went over to her.

Kagome was bleeding from every wound on her body. He saw all of the cuts and bite marks and he was filled with guilt for not protecting his mate. He leaned down and caressed his cheek with hers as he felt her move.

Inuyasha pulled away from her and saw her beautiful blue eyes as she said, "Mate," and fell unconscious again. Her word was enough to bring back to his hanyou self as he took off his haori and wrapped it around her naked body to cover her.

He picked her up in his arms and he cradled her against his chest and left the cave with his mate.

When Inuyasha walked outside the cave he saw what remained of the wolf demons all over the clearing. He saw his friends as they were panting from the fight and when they saw him they ran over to him.

They looked at the girl in his arms and said, "Is she all right?"

Inuyasha looked at them and said in a soft horse voice, "Yes" and they all breathed a sigh of relief.

Then Miroku had a thought, "Inuyasha, he didn't?"

Inuyasha sighed and simply said, "No."

Miroku was happy that Kouga didn't get to claim her as his own but they were all tired and injured from the battle. Miroku then said, "Inuyasha lets go back to your fathers castle. It's the closest place we can go to and we will be able to tend to her wounds."

Inuyasha nodded his agreement as he held Kagome closer to him and they headed home after fighting the battle to save Kagome.

oOo

All right the end to another chapter. This was by far the shortest chapter I have written for this fanfic. Boy that was very intense to write. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and for all of you that said that Inuyasha would arrive in time to save her you were right.

Kagome will finally get to meet Inuyasha father. But the reunion is anything from happy. There are a lot of things that get in the way of their happiness. Will they stay together or will there be more obstacles for them to face and conquer.

Remember to leave me a review and tell me what you think. I look forward hearing from all of you out there.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The whole way back to Lord Inutaisho castle Inuyasha wouldn't let anyone get near Kagome. Miroku tried to get Inuyasha to let him tend to her wounds but he refused, he would growl whenever anyone got near him and his mate.

They crossed the barrier into his father's lands as the soldiers came out of the forest and surrounded them.

Inuyasha growls and his protectiveness of the girl made them all stand back as they allowed him to proceed to the castle.

By the time the weary group made it back to his fathers castle word had traveled back that they had been injured and preparations were made to receive them.

What they didn't expect was the overly protective hanyou that refused to let the girl out of his arms for anyone to tend to her wounds.

Inutaisho had come out of the castle as his son came closer and said, "Inuyasha, we have prepared a room for the girl and we have healers that will tend to her wounds. You are to leave her with them and then come and see me."

Inuyasha raised his head, as he said, "NO!"

Inutaisho couldn't believe that his son had just said 'no' to him. He eyed his son and asked, "Why?"

Inuyasha took a deep breath and said, "Because she wouldn't have been injured if it weren't for you. If you hadn't sent Miroku after us again then she would've never gone into the forest to reinforce her barriers as she made plans to come here. I've almost lost her and I won't let anyone get anywhere near her."

Inutaisho had heard what his son had said as he looked at him with sadness in his eyes and said, "Very well, we will give you everything you need in order to tend to her wounds. When you are both ready then you can come and see me."

His father turned around and walked back into the castle leaving the two of them alone. Inuyasha continued to walk up the stairs heading toward his room with his mate in his arms.

The servants scrambled to get his room set up with everything he would need to treat the girl's injuries.

When he entered his room he locked the door behind him as he placed Kagome on the bed and looked at her. 'How could I've let this happen to her, I have sworn to protect her. I let some low life wolf demon take her away from me and this is what he did to her, how can she ever accept me as a mate.'

He looked around his room and saw everything that the servants had left for him to treat Kagome's wounds. He went and got the clean clothes and started to clean her wounds and put some salve on it to help them heal.

Every time he saw the teeth or claw marks on her body a lone tear would come down his face. When he was done he placed the covers over her body as he slowly stood and walked out of his room, he had to go and talk to his father. He owed him an apology for what he had said earlier.

Inuyasha was slowly making his way down the hallway to his father's office. He was in a great deal of pain but his discomforts would have to wait until he was done with what he had to do. He made it to his father's office and knocked on the door, he was leaning heavily against it for support as he waited for his father to let him in.

oOo-

Inutaisho was in his office sitting behind his desk thinking about what his son had said. He felt that he was responsible for the girl getting hurt if he hadn't extended the invitation for her to come and visit. He continued his train of thought when he heard a small knock on his door and he said, "Come in."

Inuyasha heard his father's words and slowly opened the door to his office. He was leaning on it as he walked in and saw his father sitting behind his desk.

He looked at him with pain filled eyes as he said, "I wanted to come and tell you that I'm sorry for the things I said earlier. What happened to Kagome and me would've happened no matter what we did." He grunted as he continued.

"They were very determined to capture me and bring me back to the processing facility so Kusco could have me under her control. They thought that I still had the subduing necklace around my neck, that's why they attacked the girl. They wanted her dead in order to free me from her control.

Kagome removed the necklace when I came back here the last time. With my mate being in danger they could never subdue me as my demon blood broke through the necklace they had placed around my neck."

Inutaisho couldn't believe his ears. His son was actually apologizing to him for something he had said. He saw his son breathing hard as he was leaning on the door for support. Inutaisho had a concerned look on his face, when he saw his son start to fall he was at his side before he hit the floor.

He helped him over to the couch in his office as he looked at his hand and saw blood. He looked down and saw the blood soaked clothes around his stomach. Inutaisho opened his Juban, he saw three deep claw marks on his body and they were still bleeding from the fight he had earlier that day.

He called for someone to bring a healer into his office so they could tend to his wounds. He then asked one of the female servants to go and see if the female in his room was all right. They were instructed to get a healer if the girl needed to have her wounds treated.

Inutaisho stood by his son side as the healer tended to his wounds. The healer looked up from his work and said, "These wounds are very deep. I can't stop the flow of blood and unless I do he will die."

Inutaisho couldn't believe what he was being told. This healer couldn't get the blood to stop. He looked at him and said in with a growl, "Is there anyone here that can stop the bleeding?"

The healer shook his head no as he got up and went to get some more bandages for his son's wounds, leaving behind a very distraught father.

Inutaisho wasn't about to loose his son, not after they had gotten closer together. He picked him up in his arms and made his way back to his son's room to where his future mate was resting.

He entered the room to see the girl lying in the bed asleep as he place his son next to her. He leaned over and touched her cheek to see if he could wake her up. He smiled as he saw her eyes slowly open.

Kagome felt someone touched her cheek and she felt a familiar presence next to her. She slowly opened her eyes to see that she was in a brightly lit room. Her whole body ached as she became fully awake; she was no longer in the cave with that maniac wolf.

She felt that someone was looking at her as her eyes focused on him. He looked like Inuyasha but he looked a little different. He was a little older than Inuyasha, had the same color hair, same golden eyes, but he had one purple stripe on each side of his cheek, and his hair was pulled back in a low ponytail. He didn't have the cute ears on top of his head like Inuyasha did but she guessed that he was someone that was related to him.

Inutaisho smiled and said, "Kagome, I'm Inutaisho, Inuyasha's father. I'm sorry to wake you but I need your help. Inuyasha is hurt and the healers here can't stop his bleeding, and unless we do he will die."

Kagome's eyes grew big as she heard what he had said and then she asked in a horse voice, "Where is he? Where is my Inuyasha?"

"He is right beside you, I'm sorry, I know that you're hurt but I don't want to lose my son. Can you help him? He said that you took care of him before when he was hurt." Said Inutaisho with concern in his eyes for his son.

Kagome tried to sit as she winced in pain. Then she noticed that she wasn't wearing any clothes as she turned bright red from embarrassment. She looked up and said in a shy voice, "Um, could I please have something to wear so I can sit up to see his wounds."

Inutaisho smiled as he went over to his son's closet and pulled one of his Juban and handed it to her. He turned his back as Kagome slowly sat up and put it on. When she was done she said, "Alright you can turn around now."

Kagome was breathing hard from her injuries as she tried to stay sitting up so she could look at Inuyasha wounds. She turned towards him and started to remove the bandages from around his stomach with some help from his father.

What she saw made her flinch away from him, he had three deep claw marks on his stomach and they were badly infected. It looked like he hadn't taken care of himself as he tried to protect her.

Tears started to come out of her eyes as she said, "Oh Inuyasha, why didn't you protect yourself. I told you that I probably couldn't handle seeing you get hurt again."

She couldn't help it she hated to see him hurt but she was determined to help him live. She couldn't live without him so she had to heal him. She put her hands over his wounds as she closed her eyes and started to concentrate. Her hands started to glow blue as she used her healing powers to heal him. Slowly the wound started to close and once she had done that she started to concentrate on the infection raging through his body.

She continued to pour her power into his wounds until she couldn't do it any longer. She was panting hard, almost out of breath, when she saw his eyes open and they looked at her. It was the most beautiful site she had ever seen as she fell unconscious next to him.

Inuyasha tried to move but his father held him still and said, "I want you to rest with your mate. Once you have both healed I will come to visit."

Inuyasha nodded his head in understanding and he too fell asleep next to his mate.

Inutaisho looked at his son and his mate. She was truly amazing. She healed his wounds at the cost of almost giving up her life for him. If she'd continued to give him all her energy she would've died. But as fate would have it they were both all right and asleep next to each other. He got up and left his son's room as he closed the door behind him to let them rest.

Inutaisho walked back to his office, when he entered he walked over to the window and stared out into the growing dark sky as the night was approaching.

He had a lot to be thankful for. He had his son back with him and he was healed. His son had found himself a good mate that would take care of him no matter what the cost. He would have to make sure that they were well taken care of for the future.

He wanted to have grandchildren and if he played his cards right he would get them very soon. This brought a smile to his face as he heard a knock at his door.

When Inutaisho turned around he saw the healer that was treating his sons wounds, looking for Inuyasha. The healer turned towards him and said, "Where is Inuyasha? I have some more bandages for his wounds."

Inutaisho smiled and said, "Oh, he won't be needing them anymore. His wounds are completely healed."

The healer was in shock as he said, "Who healed his wounds?"

"His future mate healed his wounds," said Inutaisho with pride as he returned his attention back to the moon that was about to appear in the night sky, happy at having his son back home.

oOo

The days passed and Inutaisho learned that he had to place a seal on his son's door in order to keep people out of his room. On several occasion the servants had walked in and had been greeted with a vicious growl from his son. He almost attacked one of them when they got too close to his mate.

They were still asleep in his room as they recovered from all of their injuries. He placed a guard on the outside of the door with a threat that he will kill the first person that let anyone into his son's room without his permission.

Inutaisho himself would go and visit once a day too see if they were all right or in need of anything. He had found his son with his body curled around his mate as he held her in his arms while he slept. He found this to be endearing as he walked out of the room and close the door behind him to make sure no one would disturb them.

On the third day Kagome started to wake up, she felt sore from having slept in the same position for a long time. She stretched her tired body and heard a complaining growl come from somewhere behind her. She turned to see who it was and when she saw that it was her Inuyasha her heart leaped with joy.

She reached up and started to scratch his ears as she heard him purr with delight. He tightened his grip on her as he opened his eyes to see two perfectly blue ones looking at him.

He smiled and leaned down to kiss his mate, something that he hadn't done in a few days. He had missed the taste of her as he deepened the kiss and brought her closer to him.

His hand was slowly moving up and down her back as he leaned in further to bring her body flush with his. His hand was running down her leg as he brought it up and started to lift the Juban she was wearing up her leg to her thighs. He would have made it further but there was someone at the door as the couple jumped apart and covered themselves as Inuyasha father entered the room.

Inuyasha started to growl as he thought, 'One day I will get to have Kagome but first I have to find a place were we can be alone so that could happen.' He buried his face in her hair as he held her close to his chest to hide the embarrassment she felt.

Inutaisho had walked in at about the right time to stop his son from doing something he wasn't ready for. He would have to wait to be fully mated. He needed the consent of the girl's father in order for him to wed. This was something that he wouldn't back down from. He wanted to make sure that the girl's father agreed to the union before they were permitted to consummate the mating.

He cleared his throat as Inuyasha looked up, and his father said, "Inuyasha, now that I see that you and your mate are finally awake please get up and get dressed. I want you to meet me down at the dining hall. You are to join me for breakfast."

The look in his fathers eyes said that is was pointless for him to argue, as he nodded his head in understanding.

Inutaisho smiled as he turned to leave, but before he walked out the door he said over his shoulder, "Inuyasha, there are some clothes for the girl in your closet. I know hers were torn during the battle." He smiled and walked out the door closing it as he left.

Inuyasha sighed; he was never going to have any alone time with Kagome if people kept on interfering with what he wanted to do. He looked down to see his mate still with her head in his chest as he slowly rubbed her back and said, "I guess we better get up and go downstairs to breakfast or my father will have a fit."

Kagome started to laugh into his chest. Her warm breath sent shivers up and down his spine. He loved that feeling but he knew his father would be checking on them again so he pulled her away from him so he could look at her.

He smiled as he said, "there's a bathroom through that door and there are some clothes for you in the closet. We have to go down stairs before my father comes back to get us."

The pout that Kagome gave him was wonderful. It was the first time since he had met her that she wanted to stay in bed with him but he was under orders and if he didn't move his ass his father would be back.

He sighed as he got out of bed and went into the bathroom while Kagome found something to wear.

Kagome was sitting on the bed waiting for Inuyasha to come out of the bathroom. She had found the perfect outfit to wear. His father had great taste in clothes.

The door to the bathroom finally opened and Inuyasha stepped out of it with a towel wrapped around his waist as he was using another to dry his hair.

Kagome was sitting on the bed admiring his body. Ever since she had gotten him out of the processing facility and had been feeding him properly he was filling out just right. His chest was well toned as you can see the muscle ripple down his washboard stomach.

His body was perfect in her eyes and she couldn't resist the lick she gave her lips as she saw him. She didn't know how much longer she would be able to hold out but she knew that she still had to speak to her parents about their union.

Kagome sighed as she got up and went into the bathroom to get cleaned up.

When she came out Inuyasha eyes about fell out of his head as he saw her. She was dressed in the light blue kimono with a slightly darker obi. It hugged her figure perfectly that it didn't leave any room for the imagination. She looked perfect in this as he approached her and then he said in her ear, "You look beautiful!"

Kagome blushed a deep red at his compliment as they left his room to go find his father. As they walked down the hallway everyone they meet had stopped to look at the girl that Inuyasha had picked to be his mate. She was gorgeous as she was turning every male's head that gazed upon her beauty.

Miroku meet them down by the dinning hall and when he saw Kagome, he now knew why she was a princess. She carried herself like royalty and she had a special glow that only she could have.

Miroku bowed deeply as he said, "My lord and My Lady. Your father awaits your arrival."

Kagome smiled as she held onto Inuyasha's arm and together they walked into the dining hall. The dining hall was just jammed packed full with anybody who was important in their kingdom as Inuyasha tightened his hold on his mate. He led her to the front of the dining hall as he held out a chair for her to sit in.

Kagome smiled at the way he stepped into his role as prince of the Western Land. She had feared that she would have to teach him how to behave at her father's dinner party but that was quickly put to rest.

Inutaisho inclined his head to his son and his mate as he stared at her. 'She is really a thing of beauty. My son has done well for himself.'

Inutaisho then stood as the great hall fell silent and he began to speak, "My friends, I am glad that you were all able to make it here for this special occasion. My son Inuyasha has returned to our kingdom safe and sound and has brought with him his intended. I am pleased to announce the engagement of Inuyasha and Kagome. My they have a long life together."

The room erupted in loud applause for the happy couple as Inuyasha turned red from embarrassment. Kagome reached over and held his hand tight as he looked at her and smiled weakly. Kagome became concerned but she kept it to herself until this ordeal was over with.

The couple sat in silence for the remainder of breakfast and when the invited guest had all left she approached Inuyasha with a worried look on her face. She placed a hand on his arm as she said, "Inuyasha, is something wrong? Are you upset that everyone knows that you're my mate?"

Inuyasha looked down and saw the tears in her eyes as he held her close to him and said, "No, that's not it. I wasn't ready for all this to happen. I didn't want everyone to know just yet, I only wanted a few select people to know that we are to be mated. I haven't told my father who you really are yet and that might change everything. I don't know how he is going to react to having the two kingdoms merged."

Kagome was hurt by his words, when she spoke her voice was filled with sorrow, "I… I understand Inuyasha. I knew that this might be a bad idea but I do want you to know that I love you and I always will. I release you from our bond. You are free to chose whoever you see fit to rule this kingdom with you." Kagome then turned and left, leaving Inuyasha just standing there looking at her retreating form.

Kagome rushed by Miroku who was standing outside saying goodbye to the guests who had attended the breakfast. She ran by him in order to leave. She didn't know which way to go in order to get home as she ran into the forest with tear soaked eyes.

Miroku seeing that Kagome was upset went after her and when he caught up to her he said, "Kagome, what wrong? Why are you crying?"

Kagome looked up with tears running down her face and said, "Miroku could you take me home please. I don't want to be here any more."

Miroku inclined his head as he escorted her home wondering what in the hell happened to make such a wonderful event turn out so wrong.

oOo

Inuyasha was in the garden thinking in his favorite tree. He knew he had messed up everything in his life. He basically told Kagome that he couldn't mate with her because he believed that his father wouldn't accept their kingdom's being merged. But in reality it was he who was scared out of his mind of ruling over the two lands.

So there he sat pondering what he was going to do with his life. He loved her deeply and he didn't want to lose her but he didn't know what to do.

Inuyasha sighed as he came to a decision he would have to go speak to his father and tell him the truth about Kagome. He would finally get to know how his father actually felt about merging the two kingdoms together.

He jumped from his perch and went in search of his father.

oOo

Inutaisho was walking on water at the thought of his son mating with that beautiful girl. He had hoped that he had caught them by surprise as he announced their engagement. He was beaming with joy as he heard a gentle knock on his door and he said in a cheerful voice, "Come in."

Inuyasha entered his father's office. He approached his father and said, "Father, we have to talk."

Inutaisho looked up from the papers on his desk and beamed at his son, "Why of course Inuyasha, I wanted to speak to you too. I wanted to see how big of a mating ceremony you wanted to have and the number of guest we should invite and…" he never got to finish his train of thought as he caught the worried look in his sons eyes.

Inuyasha had been cringing at what his father was saying, when he finally stopped talking he said, "Father, I wanted to tell you something about Kagome. She is the daughter to the King of the Southern Lands. If we mate then our two kingdoms will be united as one."

Inuyasha looked up to see that his father's expression hadn't changed. He didn't know what to say when his father started to speak, "Inuyasha, I already know who she is."

Inuyasha eyes grew big as he yelled, "YOU KNEW!"

Inutaisho laughed and said, "Of course, I know who she is. I make it a point to know who the children are to the ruling kings. In this way I know what kind of alliance I will have with them. With you two mating we will have the lands to the west, east and south. We could make a difference and finally end all of the slavery and live in peace together."

Inutaisho continued to eye his son as he asked, "Why do you ask? Has something happened between you and Kagome?"

Inuyasha swallowed hard as he said in a low voice, "I broke off our engagement because I thought you would have a hard time knowing she was the princess of the Southern Lands."

"YOU WHAT!" now his father was growling at him. "Why didn't you come and talk to me before you did something like this?"

Inuyasha became defensive as he said, "How should I know that you would be happy about her status! We never talk so it's hard for me to know how you feel!"

Inuyasha had a point. They never really talked about anything that was this important to him. He looked at his son and said, "Do you love her?"

"Yes," said Inuyasha without even hesitating.

"Well, I guess you need to go and find her and make amends. I'm sure that she loves you deeply or she never would've protected you the way she did." Said his father.

Inuyasha saw the truth in his words, he was about to leave to go find Kagome and apologize to her when they heard a knock on the door. Inutaisho said, "Come in," and Miroku hurried into his office.

Miroku was surprised to find Inuyasha there as he quickly told them, "My lord, Kagome has returned to her home. But before I left her I saw several men approaching her. They were sent by her father to get her.

Kagome had no idea what was going on, they grabbed her and pulled her into one of the waiting cars. I heard her screaming as one of the guards said that they were under orders to bring her home. She was to be kept under lock and key until the formal dinner that they are hosting a week from today."

Inuyasha was the first to become enraged and said, "WHAT!"

Miroku looked at him and said, "You heard me. Her father has her under lock and key until the dinner. I heard rumors that her father has picked her mate for her and I have a feeling that Kagome doesn't have a choice in the matter.

The engagement is to be announced next week at the formal dinner that they are hosting, the one that you should be going to."

Inuyasha had completely forgotten that the dinner was in a week's time. He had really screwed everything up and now he was about to lose his mate because of it.

Inuyasha was becoming enraged as he turned to leave. His father seeing that his son was about to leave grabbed him by his shoulder and asked, "Inuyasha, where are you going?"

Inuyasha growled as he said, "Let go of me! I'm going after my mate. I won't let her get mated to someone she doesn't love. She's mine and I'm going after her."

Inutaisho couldn't believe what his son was saying. If he went after the girl he would surely be killed. He turned to his son and said in a forceful voice, "Inuyasha, you are to stay here until we come up with a plan to go and get her. You will not be allowed to leave, the barriers will stop you from leaving the safety of our land."

Inuyasha couldn't believe what his father was saying. He was keeping him locked within his kingdom while his mate was to be betrothed to someone else. He was beginning to get angry and his eyes started to get red. He was struggling to get out of his fathers grasp.

Inutaisho seeing that his son was about to unleash his demon side quickly grabbed him by the scruff of his neck as he whispered into his ear. "I'm sorry my son, but I have to do this."

Inutaisho then squeezed his son's neck in a certain spot and he fell unconscious in his arms.

Miroku saw the exchange between father and son. He was amazed that Inutaisho could do that. He looked at him in awe as he said, "Sir, you really have to teach me that move someday. It could really come in handy."

Inutaisho moved his son over to the couch as he gently laid him down. He looked at Miroku and said, "I can never teach you that move. You will never be strong enough to put him under or any other demon for that matter."

Miroku's mouth formed an "O" in understanding. He looked at Inuyasha sleeping form and then he asked, "What are we going to do with him now? When he wakes up he is going to want to go after his mate."

Inutaisho knew this as he said, "I want you to put seals around his windows and doors. I will not allow him to leave the castle, not until we have come up with a plan to get his mate back. I feel partly to blame for what has happened."

Inutaisho looked at his son and then he got an idea.

"Miroku, I want you to pick ten of your most trusted soldiers and get them formal attire. I want concealment spells for everyone. We are going to attend this formal dinner being hosted by the girl's father. If memory serves they would have to ask if anyone objects to the arranged marriage. Then we could claim her for my son." Said Inutaisho as he smiled an evil smile at his plan.

Miroku had the same smile on his face as he left his lords office to pick the ten demons that would accompany them to this formal dinner.

oOo

This is the end to another chapter. As you can see Inuyasha's father really likes Kagome. But Inuyasha mouth always gets him in trouble.

What is going to happen to Kagome and Inuyasha? Will they be together in the end? Will she have to marry the person her father has picked for her? Or will Inuyasha's father come up with a plan to get her for his son.

You have to wait and see what happens. Remember to review and tell me what you think. Keep writing those reviews I love hearing from you. I'm sorry if I don't answer all of your reviews but if you want chapters then I have to give up on something so I can get them to you.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Inuyasha had woken up with a tremendous headache. He rubbed the back of his neck trying to make the hurt go away. The last thing he remembered was being in his father's office and finding out that his mate had been taken away by her father to be kept under lock and key until the formal dinner.

He jumped out of his bed as he made his way to the door of his room. As soon as he touched the door it threw him back into the room. He became enraged as he rushed the door again and threw his body weight against it. Again the door repelled his attack and pushed him back inside.

He looked at the window and thought that maybe he would be able to leave through there. When he reached it the same thing happened again.

Full understanding came to him as he let out an anguished howl that ripped through the castle. His father had effectively locked him in his room and he couldn't leave to go and see Kagome.

He destroyed everything in his room in a fit of rage as he tried to get out. But what ever his father had put on the doors and windows was powerful enough to even defeat his demon side.

oOo

Inutaisho was in his office planning the visit to the girl's kingdom when he heard the howl rip through the castle. 'Hmm, Inuyasha must be awake. I know that he isn't happy right now but he has to stay put if we are to succeed in getting the girl.'

He then returned to what he was doing, he needed to get everything in place in order to get the girl. He will tell his son of his plans when the time was right.

oOo

It has been two days that his son has been locked in his room and two days that he had not eaten a thing. He was refusing to eat and this worried his father. He needed to keep his energy up because in five days they would leave to go and get the girl.

Inutaisho made a decision as he left his office and went towards his son's room. He braced himself for whatever may happen as he entered the room. When he entered he didn't expect to see the state in which his room was in.

Inuyasha had effectively destroyed everything in his room in his fit of rage. He saw his son sitting in a corner of his room with his face hidden. His son wouldn't even acknowledge that he was in his room.

Inutaisho walked towards him as he said, "Inuyasha, you must eat something. You have to keep your strength up if you want to go and get your mate. What do you think she would say if she saw you like this?"

He saw Inuyasha ear twitch as he slowly turned his head towards his father, he spoke in a sad and dejected voice, "I have lost my mate. What else do I have to live for? She is everything that I ever wanted and now she's gone. Please, just leave me alone." He turned back towards his corner and sat there not moving.

Inutaisho sighed as he turned and left his son's room. It was going to be a very long five days but he was determined to keep his son safe until then.

oOo

Shippo had not seen his friend since the day they had returned from the human city. He knew that Inuyasha and Kagome were to be mated because the news was traveling throughout the kingdom of the joyous occasion.

He had made a decision to go up to the castle to see his friend and see if he wanted to play with him.

Shippo had made it to Inuyasha door when he heard someone talking in his room. He stood outside the door listening to everything being said. He heard footsteps coming towards the door as he ran and hid behind one of the curtains in the hallway.

He saw when Inuyasha's father left his room as he closed the door behind him. He was walking back towards his office when he met Miroku in the hallway.

Miroku came towards him and asked in a worried voice, "My Lord, how is Inuyasha doing? Is he eating yet?"

Inutaisho just shook his head and sighed, "No, he still refuses to eat and he thinks he has lost Kagome for good. I don't want to tell him of our plans. He has to learn how to trust us. We will be leaving in five days to go and get her but he must wait. I can't have him running off and ruining everything we have planned so far."

Miroku nodded his head in agreement as they both headed down the hallway towards Inutaisho office.

Shippo had heard everything that was being said and he was feeling very sad for his friend. He went to Inuyasha door and opened it as he stepped in. He looked around the room and saw that everything was destroyed. He couldn't believe that his friend had done this.

Shippo slowly walked over to his friend as he said, "Inuyasha? Are you all right?"

Inuyasha ears moved towards the sound his friend had made as he turned around to look at him. His eyes were so sad and he was pale. He didn't look like the Inuyasha he knew, he had barely any energy left in him as Shippo came closer to him.

Inuyasha smiled a weak smile at his friend, "Shippo, what are you doing here?" he said in a faraway tired voice.

Shippo came and sat next to him as he said, "I haven't seen you since the day we came back to the castle. I wanted to know if you could come outside and play with me."

Inuyasha rested his head against the wall as he said, "I wish I could Shippo, but I'm not allowed to leave my room. My father has me sealed in here."

"Why?" asked a very curious Shippo, with those innocent child's eyes.

"Because my father is afraid I will go after Kagome and be captured again. Kagome was taken away and is being kept under lock and key at her father's house. It is said that she is to mate someone else. I have no reason to live if I don't have my mate," said Inuyasha as he slowly closed his eyes and fell into a light sleep.

Shippo looked at his friend and said, "Don't worry Inuyasha I will go and find Kagome for you. I know the house she is being kept in. I think I know where they might be keeping her. I'll tell her that you're sick and that she has to come back to make you feel better."

Inuyasha upon hearing Shippo's words snapped his eyes open and said, "Shippo, I don't want you going back there by yourself. You could get captured again and if they do catch you this time we may never find you."

Shippo was determined to help his friend, he turned to leave and he said over his shoulder as he ran to the door, "Don't worry Inuyasha! I can take care of myself. I will find Kagome for you." Then Shippo quickly ran out of Inuyasha room.

Inuyasha quickly got to his feet and tried to catch him before he left. The barrier that had been placed on his door stopped him. He yelled at the top of his lungs trying to stop his friend from leaving, "SHIPPO, YOU GET BACK HERE! SHIPPO!"

Inutaisho heard his son screaming throughout the castle as he was trying to get out of his room. He was yelling for Shippo as they all ran down the hallway towards his room.

Inutaisho entered his son's room and saw his son's eyes. They had gone blood red from anger. He wanted to get out but his barrier was preventing him from leaving.

Inuyasha picked up his fathers scent as he quickly turned around and said, "I want out of here!" as he rushed towards his father with his claws raised.

Inutaisho was ready and when Inuyasha came towards him he quickly sidestepped and then grabbed his son by his neck as he pushed him into the wall. He had him pinned there while he asked with a growl, "Why do you want to leave?"

Inuyasha was trying to get out of his fathers grip as he said, "Shippo is on his way to find Kagome's and I have to stop him. I don't want him to be captured again!"

Inutaisho heard what his son had said as he thought, 'Damn, now I have to go and get Shippo.' He looked at his son with sadness in his eyes as he tried to reason with his stubborn son, "I'm sorry Inuyasha but I can't allow you to leave, I'll have someone go after Shippo and bring him back. You're to stay here."

Inuyasha became enraged as he began to fight against his father. His father had no choice as he cuffed his son behind his neck and squeezed. Inuyasha's eye opened wide before he went limp in his father's arms. Inutaisho then picked his son up in his arms and laid him down on what was left of his bed as he turned and left the room.

When he stepped outside Miroku was standing there waiting for him as he said, "Miroku I want you and Shawn to go after Shippo. He has gone after the girl and Inuyasha is afraid that he will get captured."

Miroku bowed and left as he went looking for Shawn to help him find Shippo.

oOo

Miroku and Shawn were running through the forest, they were on Shippo's trail. They were amazed at the speed in which the kitsune traveled. He had traveled a long way from home and he was now in the forbidden forest.

They continued running when they heard a cry for help. Miroku and Shawn stopped as they tried to get a bearing on the person calling for help. It was coming from up ahead as they took off in search of the person who needed help.

When they arrived they saw that Shippo was being chased by a big Kuma youkai and he had him cornered. Miroku stopped as he raised his staff and pointed it at the youkai as he picked him up and threw him away from the kit where he landed with a thud on the ground, unconscious.

Miroku and Shawn went over to see if Shippo was all right. They found him curled up on the ground as Miroku said, "Shippo, are you all right?"

Shippo looked up to see that Miroku and Shawn were standing right in front of him as he groaned.

Then he said, "I'm not going back until I have found Kagome." He said in a huff as he did a perfect imitation of Inuyasha, he crossed his little arm across his chest and pouted.

Miroku laughed as he sat down next to his little friend and said, "Shippo, why do you want to go and find Kagome?"

Shippo looked out the corner of his eye and said, "I have to help Inuyasha, I have to find her and bring her back then maybe she can heal him. Inuyasha is very sick he doesn't look same anymore. I want to help him so I decided to go and get Kagome for him."

Miroku was touched by the kitsune words he was a true friend to Inuyasha.

He looked at Shawn and got a gentle nod from him as he turned back towards Shippo and said, "How about we help you find Kagome. We can at least get you to the human city and from there you can tell us which way to go."

Shippo eyes lit up with joy. Miroku was willing to help him find Kagome. So they all got up and started heading towards the human city that Shippo had called home for over a month.

oOo

Kagome had finally arrived home. She had left Inuyasha in hopes that he might think about what he wanted to do. She knew that he was afraid of ruling both kingdoms. It was a big responsibility and he wasn't too sure if he could do it.

She had asked Miroku to escort her back home. She didn't know the way home because when she was taken to his father's castle she had been unconscious from what that stupid wolf did to her.

When they got there she had left Miroku in the forest. She didn't want him to walk her all the way back to her house for fear that someone might see him. She slowly made her way out of the forest as she sighed and continued to walk towards her house.

She heard some cars coming and she turned around to see about three cars pulling up to her house. She knitted her eyebrows together as she thought, "I wonder what they are doing here?"

She walked over to the men she had seen and then asked, "What do you want here? I don't need any guards protecting me." Kagome said as she recognized that the men as her father's personal guards.

The sergeant of the guards stepped forward and said, "We have been instructed to bring you back to your father's house. You are to stay there until the night of the formal dinner. Your slave will have to stay here."

Kagome was shocked to hear this, 'Why would my father order me back home? He knows how I feel about living in the city. He knows that I prefer to live out here in the forest. We had this conversation before.'

Kagome shook her head as she said, "I'm sorry but I'm not leaving my home to go and stay at my fathers house." Kagome finished her statement and turned to walk back to her house.

The sergeant signaled his soldiers and they moved forward and grabbed the girl by her arms as she fought them. Then he said, "I'm sorry princess but we have our orders, you're to come with us."

Kagome was struggling against their grip. She didn't want to leave her home. She wanted to be there incase Inuyasha came back for her. "I want you to let me go!" she yelled as she was fighting with the soldiers.

The soldiers seeing that she was a lot stronger than she looked, called for a couple of more men to help them. They forced her into the car as the girl kicked and screamed her lungs out. The soldiers then got into their cars as they drove away heading back to the kings house.

When they arrived they got Kagome out of the car as they dragged her into the house. They took her up to her old room as they threw her in and then locked the door.

Kagome got up from the floor; she reached for the door and tried to open it. It was locked. She began to pound on the door with her small hands as she yelled, "LET ME OUT OF HERE!"

She continued to do this until her voice was so horse that she couldn't speak anymore.

She collapsed right in front of her door crying her heart out. She didn't understand what was going on. Her parents never treated her like this before. Her fears started to pull at her heart as she lowered her head and said, "Inuyasha, where are you?"

The days passed and they had kept Kagome locked in her room. She had lost the energy to scream or yell. She spent most of her days sitting by her window, that now had bars on them when they had caught her trying to escape, wishing that she could see her beloved again. She missed him terribly and he might think that she had abandoned him.

She still had no idea why they were doing this to her. She hadn't seen her parents the whole time she had been in her room. Her brother had tried to talk to her through the door but she wasn't in a talking mood. She wanted Inuyasha and they were keeping her from him.

Kagome had a feeling that something was wrong. Her heart ached as she felt the tug of the mating mark on her neck. Whatever was happening, Inuyasha was in far worse shape than she was in right now.

She continued to sit at the window as she tried to figure out what to do in order to get back to Inuyasha.

oOo

Miroku, Shawn, and Shippo arrived at the place where they were keeping Kagome. Shippo had taken over the lead as he led them towards the big house that belonged to Kagome's father.

They were at the outskirts of the forest when they stopped and Miroku said, "Shippo, we will stay here and wait for you. You will have to go on your own and see if you can find Kagome. They will have her locked in a room with no way out. When you find her tell her what is happening to Inuyasha and see if we can get her out of there."

Shippo nodded his head in understanding as he left the safety of the forest and ran towards the house.

Shippo was very close to the house when he stopped to look at it. He noticed that there were bars on a set of windows that weren't there before. He figured that they had put those there to keep Kagome in her room. When he finally made it to the house he looked up and started to climb the vines on the outside of the wall so he could reach the window.

Shippo made it to the window as he squeezed himself through the bars. When he was inside the room he saw Kagome lying in bed as she was looking up at the ceiling. She seemed to be in deep thought as he made his way towards her.

When he jumped on the bed he nearly scared the living crap out of Kagome. She didn't expect to have someone in her room as she looked and saw the small kit that was a friend to Inuyasha.

She quickly sat up and said, "Shippo! What are you doing here?"

Shippo smiled and said, "I came to find you."

Kagome looked at him with concern in her eyes and said, "Shippo you didn't come all this way by yourself did you? I know that Inuyasha had taken you back home that day that I set you free. Is something wrong?" Kagome heart skipped a beat at the thought of something being wrong with her Inuyasha.

Shippo had a solemn look on his face as he said, "Inuyasha is sick, he won't eat and he sits in a corner all day. He has destroyed everything in his room because his father has sealed him in it."

Kagome eyes got wide and then she asked, "Why would his father lock him in his room?"

Shippo sighed as he said in a low voice, "Because he wants to come after you and his father won't let him. He's afraid that Inuyasha will get captured again. So I told Inuyasha that I would come and find you so you can come back and heal him."

Kagome didn't know what to say. She wanted to go back and help him but she too was being kept under lock and key.

She sighed as she said, "Shippo, I wish that I could leave here too but my father has locked the doors and has placed bars on the window. I can't get out of here."

Tears were coming down Kagome's face as Shippo went over to her. He sat in her lap and tried to offer some comfort to her.

Kagome picked the kit up in her arms and hugged him as he wrapped his small arms around her neck and held on tight. Kagome got an idea as she placed Shippo down on the bed and got up. She walked to the desk in her room as she sat down and quickly wrote a letter to Inuyasha.

When she was done she put it in an envelope and gave the letter to Shippo and said, "Since I can't leave here then I want you to take this back to Inuyasha. Tell him that I will be waiting for him."

Shippo took the letter and put it inside his shirt as he left her room. He went back to the place where he knew that Miroku and Shawn were waiting for him.

oOo

Miroku and Shawn were waiting patiently for Shippo to return. They were keeping watch to see if they had discovered Shippo roaming the grounds. When they saw him coming towards them they both breathed a sigh of relief as the kit made it back safely.

When Shippo arrived they both asked in unison, "Did you find Kagome?"

The kit smiled as he said, "I found her but she can't get out either. Her father has her locked in her room too. But she gave me a letter to give to Inuyasha and she said she would be waiting for him."

Both Miroku and Shawn looked at each other in confusion. Then Miroku turned back to Shippo and said, "Um, Shippo could I see the letter that Kagome wrote to Inuyasha?"

Shippo huffed, as he said, "No! The letter belongs to Inuyasha and I will personally give it to him."

Miroku sighed and then he said, "Well, we better get back as quickly as possible so you can deliver that letter. It might be important."

Shippo climbed on Miroku shoulder as they turned and went back home as fast as they could run. They only hoped that the letter would somehow calm the hanyou down enough so he could eat and get his strength back for what they needed to do.

oOo

The group had made it back to the castle late that night. Miroku took Shippo to Inuyasha's room as he turned and went in search of Inutaisho.

Shippo entered Inuyasha's room and it was dark. His demon eyes allowed him to see in the dark as he made his way over to his friend and said, "Inuyasha? Are you awake?"

Inuyasha's ears moved as he heard Shippo's voice. He turned towards his friend and said, "I am now Shippo. Where have you been?"

"I went to find Kagome like I said I would. She can't come here because her father has her locked up too." Shippo said in a sad voice.

Inuyasha knew that it was next to impossible for her to come back to him. His heart felt heavy at the lost of his mate. He wanted to go to her but he too was being kept under lock and key.

Shippo looked at his friend with concern then he said, "But she asked me to give you this letter and she said that she will be waiting for you."

Inuyasha sat up as he heard Shippo's words and he handed him the letter from Kagome.

Inuyasha sniffed the letter and knew it was from her. Her scent was on it and it immediately calmed his raging blood. The thought of his mate seemed to have awaken something that was deep inside him as he opened the letter and started to read it:

_Koi,_

_Shippo has told me that you are sick and he wanted me to come back with him so I can heal you. With a heavy heart I'm sending this instead, in hopes that it will help you._

_My father has me locked away in my room. I have no idea why he's doing this until the formal dinner that's in a few days._

_I hope that you have changed your mind about us mating because my answer is still the same. I love you, my Inuyasha and I can't wait for the day that I will become your mate. I don't care what our parents have to say about our union. I am happy with you and you are the only one that I want to be with._

_I miss your touch and your kisses. I long to have you in my arms. You make me whole as I think about all the times we have spent together in each other's embrace. The way you made me laugh and the way you kept me safe._

_I would rather die a thousand deaths than be mated to someone that I didn't love. I ask you now that if you still love me please come and get me. _

_I have enclosed invitations to the formal dinner being held here. I know that you probably don't want to talk to your father right now but if you ask him for help I'm sure that he could think of something that will allow us to be together again._

_Koi, please! I don't want to be away from you anymore. I need you to be strong for me the way I'm being strong for you._

_I will be looking for you at the dinner. I love you, I always have and I always will._

_Forever yours, _

_Kagome_

As Inuyasha was reading the letter tears were running down his face. When he finished reading it he said in a low and tired voice, "Shippo, could you do me a favor? Will you go and get my father. Tell him that I want to speak to him."

Shippo nodded that he understood as he turned to leave. He saw Inuyasha walking towards his window to gaze upon the night sky deep in thought. He sighed as he closed the door behind him and rushed down the hallway to get Inuyasha's father.

Shippo made it to Inutaisho office and knocked on the door. He was nervous but he had a mission to perform. He heard a soft, "Come In," and he opened the door to Lord Inutaisho office and stepped in.

oOo

Inutaisho was sitting behind his desk talking to Miroku when he heard a knock on the door. He said, "Come In," and Shippo entered his office.

He looked at the kit with curiosity in his eyes as he saw the kit swallow hard and said, "Excuse me sir, but Inuyasha wants to speak with you."

Inutaisho raised an eyebrow at the kits words as he got up and went towards Inuyasha's room.

When he entered his son's room he found him by the window looking at the full moon that filled the night sky.

Inuyasha turned when he heard his father enter his room and he said, "Father, I have a favor to ask."

Inutaisho had a surprised look on his face as his son continued with his request. "Kagome sent me a letter and has requested that I come and get her. I know that you have me locked in this room for a reason but if you could find it in your heart, please let me go to the formal dinner to get her. She has sent invitations for the dinner and she's waiting for me. She said that she would rather die than be mated to someone she didn't love."

Inutaisho saw the tears coming down his son's face as he continued, "Father, I don't want to lose her. I love her and if anything ever happened to her then we will be together in the after life because I will go with her."

Inutaisho knew that his son was sincere in his request but something that he had said caught his interest.

He looked at his son and asked, "You said that she sent you some invitations to the formal dinner."

Inuyasha nodded his head yes to his question as he handed him the invitations.

Inutaisho was happy, this was the last piece he needed to make his plan work. He had been trying to get some invitations to this affair and now that he had them his plan will work.

He looked at his son and said, "Thank you Inuyasha this was the last thing that I needed to set my plan into motion. I have already made plans to go and get her, we will leave here the day of the dinner to retrieve your mate."

Inuyasha's eyes just widened when he heard what his father had said. He should of known that his father had a plan and the reason he was keeping him locked up was to prevent him from ruining them.

He sighed as he turned back towards the window to look at the moon. It was beautiful but not as beautiful as his Kagome. He missed her terribly but he would soon have her with him once again.

Inutaisho then said, "Inuyasha, I want you to come with me."

Inuyasha heard his father's request as he turned to follow him. He would obey his orders if he wanted to get his mate back. She was counting on him and he wasn't about to let her down.

Inutaisho led his son to another room as he walked in and said, "You are to stay in here while I have your room repaired. I will send up some food for you to eat."

Inuyasha nodded his head agreeing to his request as he went to sit down on the bed. His thoughts were on his mate as the servants came in and placed a tray, with food on it, next to his bed.

He sighed, he wasn't really hungry but he knew he had to at least obey his father's orders if he wanted to get Kagome back. He ate his food and then laid down on the bed as he hugged a pillow close to him thinking that it was his mate as he finally, after three days, fell asleep.

Inutaisho had come in later that night to check on his son. He saw that he had eaten his food and had finally fallen asleep. He didn't know what Kagome's letter had said but it was enough to change his son's way of thinking. He would have to thank her once they got her back as he left the room his son was sleeping in to finish his plans to retrieve his mate.

oOo

The days passed and Inuyasha was allowed to leave his room to roam around the castle. He was still unable to leave the boundaries of the land as the barrier prevented him from doing so. You could find him on any given day in the garden down below just sitting.

His father was worried, he hadn't heard a word out of his son's mouth since the day Kagome had sent him that letter and he made his request. He had withdrawn so much that he was afraid that he would never be able to get him out of it.

The day of the formal dinner had arrived and all of the preparations had been made.

Inutaisho walked outside to where his son was sitting and said, "Inuyasha, it's time for us to leave for the dinner."

Inuyasha slowly got up and followed his father, he was still not showing any emotions or even uttering a word but inside he was jumping for joy at the thought of seeing his Kagome again.

Inutaisho looked at his son with concern in his eyes. He hoped that Inuyasha was up to the task of getting his mate back.

The advance party had left early that morning to set things in motion as the remainder of the party took off into the forest heading for the human city.

It was now time to unite the two kingdoms as they went to face Kagome's father.

oOo

This is the end to another chapter. As you can see Inuyasha father had a plan to go and get Kagome, but Inuyasha's stubbornness almost ruined it. He had to be restrained to see the whole picture and have a little faith in his father.

Everything comes to a head when Kagome finally gets to see her parents. Inuyasha and his father arrive at the formal dinner to get Kagome back. Will they succeed in what they have to do? Or will Kagome be forced to marry the man her father has picked out for her? You have to wait to find out what happens.

Remember to leave me a review and tell me what you think. I look forward to hearing from all of you.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

It has been four days since Shippo had visited her in her room. Four days since she had sent a letter to her Inuyasha asking him to be here tonight at the formal dinner. She had hoped to get word back that he was coming, but sadly none had come.

The dinner was to be held tonight as every high-ranking official was invited to the occasion. She still had no idea why she had been kept in her room all these days. Her parents were nowhere to be found.

She was sitting by the window dreaming about Inuyasha when she heard her door unlock. She turned her head towards the door and saw one of the servants enter her room with a beautiful dress that the she hung on a hook on her closet door.

Kagome raised an eyebrow at the servant and asked, "What's that for?"

The servant turned and curtsied as she said, "My lady, your mother has sent this dress for you to wear for the dinner tonight. She requests that you get ready to go." The servant turned and left her room while she locked the door behind her.

Kagome got up and went to look at the dress. It was a full-length gown. It was a pale pink in color and it was low cut to show enough cleavage to entice even the married men. The arms of the dress would sit slightly off her shoulders. It looked like it would hug the top part of her body fairly well while it gathered around the waist and flared out. It was a beautiful dress but she had no desire to wear it. She went back to sitting by the window to contemplate her life.

A while later Kagome heard her door unlock again and saw her mother enter her room. Kagome quickly got to her feet as her mother came in wearing a gorgeous blue gown. Her mother looked at her and asked, "Why haven't you dressed yet? The dinner is going to start in a couple of hours and you have to get ready."

Kagome stood her ground as she said, "I want to know what's going on. I want to know why I have been kept here under lock and key."

The Queen sighed; she knew that she would have to explain what was going on to her stubborn daughter. "Kagome, the reason you have been kept under lock and key was to make sure you would attend tonight's dinner. We have given you every opportunity to find a suitor and you have rejected everyone that has come calling. Your father has taken it upon himself to find you a husband. This marriage will benefit the kingdom and will enhance our blood line."

Kagome couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her father had found her a betrothed, 'How dare my father think that I would marry anyone that he chooses for me. I will make that choice not him.' Thought Kagome with rage.

She looked at her mother and said, "Why didn't anyone ask me if I would consent to this marriage? And what makes you think that I haven't found a suitor?"

The Queen looked at her daughter and said, "You have found a suitor? Who is he?"

Kagome sighed as she said, "Mother, I love him and he makes me happy. I have met his family and they accept me with open arms. I was going to tell you both and bring him here to introduce him to you, but you chose to bring me here and keep me locked up like I was some sort of criminal."

Kagome temper was flaring as she continued. "I have no idea where he is right now because I haven't seen him since I've been here. I'm sure that he is looking for me."

The Queen sighed as she said, "That's fine Kagome but right now you have to get dressed to go to the dinner. I will expect you to be ready in an hour's time. If you aren't ready then I will send in some servants that will help you get dressed and make you look presentable for our guest."

The look on her mothers face was one that said, 'Do it or you'll regret it,' as she saw her mother walking out of her room.

Kagome had no choice she had to get dressed to go to this stupid dinner. Her only consolation was that maybe Inuyasha would show up and drag her away from all of this.

Kagome sighed as she went towards her bathroom to take a shower and prepare to go to the dinner.

oOo

The group that had left the Western Lands had been traveling through the woods until they reached the outskirts of the city. They all put on the rings that Miroku had given them as the concealment spell was activated. Everyone's demon features were hidden from the humans view as the group emerged from the forest and they walked towards three cars that were waiting for them.

Inuyasha looked on in awe when he saw the cars. There was one that was very long with the other two being of normal size. Inuyasha followed his father as he saw Miroku standing by the long car and he said, "All of the preparations have been made and everyone is in place."

Inutaisho inclined his head towards Miroku indicating that he understood as he got in the stretch limousine. Inuyasha followed closely behind his father, as Miroku was the last one to enter the car. The man standing by the door shut it as he got in the front seat next to the driver and the cars started to move.

Inuyasha just stared out the window not saying a word as the cars drove toward the most expensive hotel in the area. When the cars stopped everyone got out as they entered the building, where they were greeted with respect by the hotel staff.

They took everyone to the top floor of the hotel, which they had rented for the occasion and were shown to their rooms. The hotel manager had bowed profusely, making sure that they understood that if he could do anything to make their stay more pleasant then all they had to do was ask, as he left them to their accommodations.

Inuyasha walked over to the picture window that looked out over the city. The view was breathtaking as you can see the whole city from up here.

Inutaisho came over to stand next to his son as he said; "We have rented the entire floor so we could have our people here. We have put your formal wear in your room. We will be leaving here in about two hours to go to this dinner, I will expect you to be ready by this time."

Inuyasha inclined his head to his father in a silent statement that he understood and turned to go into his room to get ready.

Inutaisho seeing that his son had yet to even speak to him said, "Inuyasha? What's wrong? You haven't spoken to me since the day that Kagome sent you that letter."

Inuyasha lowered his head as he tried to speak to his father. When he found his voice, after about four days of not using it, it was rough as he said, "Thank you for going through all this trouble to get Kagome back for me. I figured that if I kept my mouth shut I wouldn't piss you off." He then turned and headed towards his room to get ready.

Inutaisho looked at his son's retreating form and he started to laugh. 'Well at least he was honest in his answer to me,' as he too turned and went to get dressed.

The time had come for them to leave to go to the dinner. Inuyasha came out of his room wearing a formal black Haorihakama with a pure white silk Juban underneath and black shoes, he hated the shoes but for Kagome he would wear them. His father was dressed in much the same way as he was; only he carried himself with authority being the Lord of the Western Land.

He looked at his son and smiled at the way he looked. For once he looked presentable and he actually had shoes on. I guess being smitten with Kagome will make him do anything to gain her favor.

The group left the top floor as they walked out of the hotel to the awaiting cars out front. When everyone had gotten into their respective vehicles they took off towards where the dinner was to be held.

Inutaisho leaned over to his son and said, "I should tell you that they're expecting us."

Inuyasha's eyes went wide as he said, "They're expecting us? How do they know we're coming?"

Inutaisho laughed as he said, "I planned all this. They don't know that we're demons, well at least not yet. They think that we are a high-ranking family from the west who wish to seek allegiance with them."

Inuyasha had to smile, leave it up to his father to get around all of the bureaucratic bullshit to get them into places. But then he thought of something he had said that caught his attention and he asked, "What was the part about them not knowing we were demons yet?"

Inutaisho smiled and said, "If you want to mate with the girl then her father must agree to the union of a demon and human. It's the only way that you two will be truly happy."

Inuyasha nodded his understanding of the situation as he turned his attention back to the window and thought about seeing his Kagome once again. He missed her terribly but he will soon get to hold her in his arms.

oOo

Kagome was fully dressed as her mother came back to her room to get her. The dress she had picked out for her daughter looked beautiful on her. She walked into the room and approached her daughter as she said, "Kagome, I have something for you to wear for tonight."

When her mother opened the palm of her hand she had a beautiful necklace in it. It had diamonds all the way around the necklace but the most beautiful stone was the one in the middle. No one knew what kind of stone it was but it held an energy all its own. It shined a beautiful blue when held towards the light and it was the size of a large grape. It sat perfectly in the middle of the necklace as her mother put it around her neck.

When the Queen stepped back to look at her daughter she was amazed at how beautiful she looked. She carried herself better than she ever could and she commanded respect. She inclined her head towards her daughter as she said, "Follow me," and left her room.

Kagome sighed as she followed her mother to the dinner. She was hoping that her father would forget about the arrangement he had made for her and she hoped with all her heart that she would get to see her Inuyasha there tonight.

The guest started to arrive as Kagome was forced into the receiving line to meet them all. She hated being there as she kept a fake smile plastered on her face as people after people filed past her in greeting.

As Kagome was greeting the guest she came upon a person she wished she would never see again.

Hojo stepped up and said, "Good evening princess, nice to see you again." He grabbed her hand and planted a wet kiss on the back of her hand. Kagome was disgusted and said to her mother, "Mom, I'll be back in a few minutes," as she stepped away from the receiving line to go wash her hand from the slobber he had left.

No sooner than Kagome had left the receiving line than Inutaisho and his party arrived at the dinner. They went through the line and greeted the King and Queen as he said, "Hello my name is Inutaisho and this is my son Inuyasha."

The King hearing the name beamed with joy as he said, "I'm glad that you were able to make it to the dinner. I hope to talk to you a little later."

Inutaisho inclined his head indicating that he would be honored as he continued to go down the line.

Inuyasha picked up on Kagome scent but she wasn't there. His heart dropped knowing that he had just missed her.

The group made it through the receiving line when Miroku walked up to them with Sango hanging on his arm. He bowed as he said, "Lord Inutaisho I want you to meet Sango she is a good friend of mine and the reason I travel to this area quite often."

Inutaisho smiled as he looked at Miroku and then turned his attention to the girl and said, "So you're the reason I can't keep him at home to do business. Well can't say I blame him you are lovely my dear."

Sango blushed a deep red as she heard the compliment given to her by Miroku's employer. She looked at the young man standing next to him and said, "Have we met before? Because you look familiar to me."

Inuyasha had to do some quick thinking as he said, "I'm sorry but I don't think that I have meet you before. I rarely leave my home."

Sango smiled as she heard his reply and then Miroku was pulling her away to meet someone else.

Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief when she walked away. He was irritated that Miroku would bring her over to introduce her to his father. She was the only person that could identify him.

Inutaisho leaned over and asked, "Is something wrong?"

Inuyasha said in a very low voice that only he could hear, "She's the only one that would know who I am. She has seen me before and I protected her when they tried to kill Kagome before."

Inutaisho nodded his head in understanding as he stood straight and looked around the area. He did it out of habit as he caught sight of someone in the near distance. He nudged his son in the ribs as he pointed with his head towards the person he was looking at.

Inuyasha turned in the indicated direction and his heart leaped, there stood the love of his life and she was gorgeous. The dress she had on was beautiful and it brought out her beauty even more. He saw her mating mark on her shoulder but he also saw the spell that covered it, so no one else could see it. His heart sank just a little as he turned away from her.

Inutaisho pulled his son over to the side and said, "Inuyasha, don't take her hiding the mating mark as personal. She still has it, which means that your bond with her is still strong. She could've just healed it completely and no one would've ever seen it. But she chose to keep it and just use a spell so no one else would see it unless they were a demon."

His father had a point she still had it so that meant that she still loved him.

All of the guests had finally arrived as the royal family moved toward the front of the room. They stepped up onto a low platform that allowed them to see everyone.

King Higurashi cleared his throat as the room fell quite. He looked at everyone present and then he said, "I wanted to thank everyone for attending the dinner tonight. I'm pleased to announce that I have arranged for my daughter Kagome to be wed to Hojo of the northern clan. I think that this union will be of benefit to all here."

Kagome was shocked. She couldn't believe that her father wanted her to marry that asshole who has been after her for the past four years. She looked at her father with anger in her eyes as her mother put a hand on her arm and shook her head no. Effectively telling her not to say anything.

Kagome temper was starting to rise. Her eyes turned a deeper blue as she glared daggers at her father.

Hojo had made it up to the platform and was now standing next to her father as he was waving his arm at the crowd.

Inuyasha upon hearing the announcement started to growl at the guy who had grabbed his mate that one day. Inutaisho placed a hand on his arm to calm him as they continued to listen.

King Higurashi had pulled Kagome next to him as he shoved her in Hojo's direction. He wanted her to smile but she refused.

Hojo looked down and said, "So Kagome, now that we're engaged you must learn to love me because we will be together for a long time."

Kagome face turned white at the thought of being married to this jerk. Then she heard her father start to speak.

"If anyone objects to this union speak now or forever hold your peace." Said her father.

Kagome was about to voice her own objections when she heard another more familiar voice answer for her.

"I object to this union." Everyone turned to the voice that had spoken as they parted to allow the person to be seen by the king.

Inuyasha stepped forwards as he said again, "I object to this union on the grounds that she doesn't love this jerk. How can you marry your daughter to someone who is going to mistreat her for the rest of her life? I have seen what he is capable of and yet you want her to be unhappy."

King Higurashi looked at the young man and recognized him as his guest from the west.

Then he heard his daughter say, "Inu… Inuyasha!"

As she jumped from the platform and rushed into his waiting arms, his arms closed around her as he held onto her for dear life. It felt good to have her in his arms again as the crowd around them started to talk.

King Higurashi didn't know what to do. Clearly his daughter knew this young man and he had come here in hopes of asking for her hand in marriage.

He cleared his throat as he said, "My apologies my dear friends but it seems to me that I need to talk to my daughter and her guest. If you'll excuse me we shall return momentarily."

The king and his party left the platform as he walked towards his daughter and the young man that was holding her and said, "Will you two please follow me."

Inuyasha looked at his father as his father nodded his head for him to follow. He followed behind the king while he kept Kagome close to him as his father and a few others joined them. They left the great hall and went into a smaller room where they could all talk about what just happened.

Inuyasha, his father, Kagome and the rest of there group where on one side of the room as Kagome's family and Hojo were on the other side of the room. They looked at one another as the king decided to break the silence.

"Now, will someone please tell me what is going on?" He said with anger in his voice. He hated to be made a fool of in front of his people.

Kagome release Inuyasha as she turned around and said, "How dare you betrothed me to that jerk! I told you once father that I would marry for love and nothing else. I don't care what your great plans are for this kingdom but this is my life you're messing with."

King Higurashi had never seen his daughter this mad before. She had never spoken back to him the way she was doing right now. He looked at her and said, "Kagome, you know that I only have your best interest at heart. Hojo said that he loved you and that you felt the same way about him. So I agreed to the union between you two and thought that it would bring our two lands closer together. I thought that this is what you wanted."

Inuyasha started to growl as he said, "He loves her? Ha! He doesn't love her he lusts after her. Why don't you ask him what he did to her on the day of her finals that her slave had to step in to get him off your daughter."

King Higurashi eyes opened wide as he turned towards Hojo and asked, "What is he talking about Hojo? What did you do to my daughter?"

Now there was a definite edge to his voice as a father defended his daughter. He hated being lied to more than being made a fool in front of all of his subjects. This young man was getting on his nerves.

Hojo couldn't answer his question as Kagome said, "Yes, Hojo why don't you tell my father why my companion almost ripped your head off. Why don't you tell him that I have repeatedly asked you to leave me alone because I wasn't interested in you, or the fact that you have grabbed me on several occasions and have hurt me!" She yelled at the paling face of her would be suitor.

Hojo couldn't believe what was happening. First he was engaged to Kagome now he was getting the third degree from her and everything that she and the guy standing next to her were saying they believed.

Hojo was backing away from the group as he sought the safety of the crowd out in the main reception area. He quickly turned and left the room as King Higurashi said to his guards, "Follow him and escort him off the premises, I don't want him to ever come near my daughter again."

The guards bowed as they left the room to follow the young man and make sure that he left the area.

King Higurashi then turned to his daughter and said, "Kagome, I'm sorry, I should've asked you if everything he was saying was true. I wanted you to find someone that you could love and be happy with for the rest of your life, that I never thought about asking you."

Kagome turned to her father and said, "Father, I have found someone that I love very much and I will tell you right now, whether you approve or not, I will be married to him. I don't care about taking over the thrown.

I want to live my life in peace and be happy with him. His father has already accepted me for who I am and has given his blessing. I only ask the same from you. Accept who I have chosen to be my husband."

King Higurashi looked at his daughter and asked, "Who is this young man that has captured your heart? Is it him?" he said as he pointed toward Inuyasha.

Kagome nodded her head yes as she said, "Yes, Inuyasha is the person I have chosen to marry but there is something you have to know about him." Kagome swallowed hard and said, "He's Prince Inuyasha of the Western Lands."

King Higurashi eyes went wide as he said, "He's what? The Prince to the Western Lands?"

Kagome nodded her head yes as she said, "Inuyasha, can you remove the concealment spell please."

Inuyasha smiled as he removed his ring and his demon features where shown. Kagome giggled as she reached for his ears and gently started to rub them. Inuyasha started to purr with delight as he put his arms around her waist and brought her closer to him.

King Higurashi had to sit down. This news was hard to take. He didn't know what to do as Inuyasha came forward and said, "Sir, I love your daughter. I will always protect her with my life, which I have already done and have kept her save. I'm asking you now, I want your daughter hand in marriage."

Inuyasha waited for her father to come to his senses. He was having a hard time with him being a demon.

Kagome's mother had been watching from the side not saying a word as she stepped forward and said, "Do you promise to always love her and keep her happy for the rest of her life?"

Inuyasha didn't even hesitate as he said, "Yes."

Kagome's mother smiled as she said, "I can tell that you love my daughter deeply and that you will always protect her. I give you my blessing."

Kagome came towards her mother as she hugged her, while she said, "Thank you mother I really do love him."

Inutaisho was standing off to the side as he observed everything that was going on. He saw that her father was having a hard time dealing with the situation as he stepped forward, took off his ring, and addressed her father.

"King Higurashi, I am Lord Inutaisho, Lord of the Western Lands. I have no problems with your daughter marring my youngest son. I see no reason why you should have any problems with it. With them being married our two kingdoms will be united as one.

For years you have been fighting to get your people to treat demons with respect. When our two kingdoms combine we will be free to live in peace with each other. It's time that we put behind us everything that has happened in the past and start living for the future." Said Inutaisho as he waited for the man to answer him.

King Higurashi looked up and met for the first time the Lord of the Western Lands. It was amazing because the Lord of the Western Lands never left the safety of his homeland to even travel into the human territory. But there he stood in front of him. He had come with his son to ask for his daughter hand in marriage.

He stood as he walked towards him and said, "You're right, we should start living for the future and forget about the past." He said as he shook Inutaisho hand in a friendly jester.

King Higurashi then turned to his daughter and said, "Kagome, is this what you want? Do you love him that much that you want to be with him forever?"

Kagome turned to her father and said, "I do love him. He is the other half of my soul, the other side of me that I have been searching for. I love him and I want to be with him."

He smiled at his daughter and said, "I give you my blessing my daughter. I hope that you will be happy together."

Kagome went over to her father and hugged him as she said in his ear, "Thank you, daddy."

When she let go of her father she walked over to Inuyasha and said, "Do you still want to have me as your mate?" and she gave him one of her most perfect smiles.

Inuyasha smiled and the only answer he gave her was the long and passionate kiss that they shared as she melted into his arms.

Her father cleared his throat in order to get them apart from each other as he turned to Inuyasha's father and said, "I guess I'm going to have to explain all this to the people out there. I would like for you to remain as you are. They have a right to know whom my daughter has chosen as her husband and that I have given my blessing for the union. Could you wait until I have announce the engagement to present yourselves?"

Inutaisho inclined his head towards him agreeing to his request as he left the room to go and address the people gathered there to have dinner.

King Higurashi walked back into the reception room, as he stepped up on the platform and cleared his throat to get everyone's attention again. Once everyone had quitted down he began.

"I'm sorry for the delay. I should've talked to my daughter before I made the previous announcement of her engagement to Hojo. This was a mistake I don't think that he would've treated my daughter very well and she has refused the union. But my daughter has brought me great news that she has found a suitor. He has asked for her hand in marriage and I have agreed to the union.

I'm pleased to announce the engagement of Princess Kagome and Prince Inuyasha, of the Western Lands."

Everyone in the crowd gasped as the announcement was made. Inuyasha, Kagome, and his father made their appearance when the announcement was made in there true form.

The crowd was surprised by the announcement but they erupted in a loud applause for the happy couple. They accepted whom Kagome had chosen for her husband as they welcomed the union of both kingdoms.

oOo

All right, everyone has accepted whom Kagome has picked for her husband. The stage has been set for their marriage to one another. But trouble is coming. What can it be? Will they stop the marriage between Kagome and Inuyasha? You have to wait for the next chapter to find out.

I have been asked how old Kagome and Inuyasha are in this story. Kagome is 21 and a doctor. Inuyasha and all the other demons in the fic are centuries old, but he looks and acts like he's 21 also.

Also about Sesshomaru, he will appear later on in the story. He doesn't play a part in the story until almost the end along with one of my characters. So you have to wait for that.

As to why I have not posted the chapters faster on this site than I did the others, well someone actually complained that I was posting the chapters faster than I said I would. So I opted to post slower on this site. But now that I'm back from my business trip I will get you all up to speed with the other sites that I post my story to.

I hope that I answered all of your questions and if I missed on please let me know in your reviews.

Remember to leave me a review and tell me what you think.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Miroku had made plans to meet Sango at the dinner party some time ago. He was wondering how he would be able to pull it off when the situation between Inuyasha and Kagome happened.

He was delighted that Inutaisho was going to attend the dinner. He had wanted him to meet Sango for a long time. He had told him that he wanted to make her his mate and Inutaisho had agreed but under one condition that she would have to agree to be his mate. She would have to know the truth about him if he wanted to mate with her. He would have to tell her that he was a demon.

Miroku had pondered how he was going to do that for a while now. He was scared to death about what her reaction would be towards him when she found out. He knew that she had issues but he still loved her just the same.

He was standing outside waiting for her to arrive at the dinner when he saw her walking up the stairs. She was dressed beautifully in a blue kimono and a gold obi. The dress hugged her figure to perfection as he greeted her, "Sango, my sweet you look beautiful."

Sango blushed at his comment as she took his arm and they went through the receiving line. Sango was walking in front of him as he heard her say to Kagome, "Kagome, I want to introduce you to a very good friend of mine."

Then he heard her whisper, "This is the guy I have been telling you about."

Kagome looked towards him as she raised an eyebrow.

Miroku hoped that she wouldn't give him away as he said, "Pleasure to finally met you princess. Sango has told me so much about you." He smiled gently as he eyed what she was going to do.

Kagome smiled and said, "Oh, so you're the person my friend has been telling me about. I hope that you treat her well or you will have to suffer my wrath."

Her comments didn't go unnoticed as he bowed to her and said, "No princess, my feeling for her are real and I would never hurt her."

Kagome inclined her head to him in a friendly jester as they continue to go down the receiving line.

They had made it down the receiving line and now they were mingling with the other guest as Sango introduced him to all of her friends.

Miroku saw Inutaisho and Inuyasha enter the reception hall and he turned to Sango and said, "Sango, I want you to meet my employer. I have told him all about you and he would like to meet you."

Sango turned red from his comment as he lead her towards Inutaisho. He finally got the chance to introduce her to him and they talked for a few minutes. Then she turned her attention towards Inuyasha and this worried him as she asked, "Excuse me, have we meet before? You seem familiar to me."

He was happy at Inuyasha's comment to her as he quickly led her away.

Miroku lead Sango away from Inutaisho as they made their way outside to the garden to talk. He would have to tell her the truth because in a few minutes everyone will know the truth.

They went into the garden and found the most perfect place to sit. It was under an old ancient tree that shaded the area perfectly and would give them some privacy.

He swallowed hard as he turned to Sango and grabbed her hand, "Sango, I have something very important to ask you. I have known you for a long time now and in that time I have grown to love you. I would like more than anything if you would be my wife."

Sango was taken by surprise by his question as tears of happiness were running down her face. She was very happy to learn that he loved her and that he wanted her to marry him.

Miroku saw the girl's expression as he continued, "but before you answer that question there is something that you must know about me." Miroku then released her hand and took off his ring as his true form was revealed to Sango.

Sango paled, as her eyes grew big when she saw that Miroku had turned into a demon. 'This has to be a sick joke. Miroku can't be a demon! He just can't!' Thought Sango as she eyed her would be husband.

Miroku saw the expression on the girls face as he put his ring back on and said, "I see Sango. I'm sorry, you had to know the truth if you were to accept my offer. I can't mate unless you agree to mate the real me. I truly love you Sango and I'm sorry that I had to deceive you, but you harbored so much hatred towards demons for what they did that I had to keep this secret from you. I only wanted to show you that we're not all the same."

He saw Sango just sitting there not looking or speaking to him. He had truly shocked her with his confession. He sighed as he said, "Sango, are you going to be alright?"

He tried to touch her arm and she pulled away from him. He lowered his head as he rose to his feet and left to join Inutaisho, his heart heavy as she rejected him for who he was.

Sango was breathing hard, the man that she loved was a demon and he just revealed his true self to her. She couldn't deal with it; the only man she had ever fell in love with was a demon. She could never accept his offer. It just wasn't done in her time.

She slowly rose to her feet as she went back inside to join the rest of the people in the reception area. There was something going on as she heard the young man that was standing next to Miroku's employer speak out against the union of Kagome and Hojo.

Sango heard her friend say, "Inu…Inuyasha!" as she jumped off the platform and went towards the young man. She saw her hug him in an embrace that only meant that she truly loved him.

'How can this be Inuyasha? He's a demon and this guy is human.' Then she remembered the disguise that Miroku had been wearing and guessed that Inuyasha had the same kind of concealment spell.

Sango saw as Miroku walked away with his employer and Kagome's family towards another room to talk. 'If Kagome could accept a demon as her husband then why can't I accept Miroku as mine.' Sango stood there and pondered the question of what to do.

oOo

Hojo had been forcefully escorted out of the king's house and asked never to return again. They had not seen the last of him. He wouldn't allow the kingdoms to the west and south to be united.

He had seen who that bastard was that had stolen away his betrothed as they announced their engagement to the kingdom.

It was that damn demon that had gotten in his way before when he had seen Kagome at her school. He had prevented him from taking Kagome home with him that day and having her be his wife. But he wasn't going to succeed this time. He will get his revenge for interfering with his plans.

Hojo returned to his temporary home as he meet with his most trusted advisors. He had a plan just incase he couldn't get Kagome to be his wife. He would make sure that she would never marry that demon that she claimed to love. He would kill Inuyasha and then take Kagome back to his home and she would be his whether she liked it or not.

They stayed there planning the attack for the king's home for the next hour. Once all of the preparations were made they left to kill the demon who had dared interfere with his plans to get Kagome.

oOo

They were all seated at a great table enjoying one another company as the dinner that the king was hosting went off without a hitch. Everyone in the room had accepted that fact that Kagome had chosen a demon as her husband and that the merging of the two kingdoms was a great idea. They were all ready to move on with their lives and dwelling on the past never seemed to do anyone any good.

Kagome and Inuyasha couldn't be happier. They were sitting by each other as they enjoyed their dinner.

Inuyasha was getting that little feeling in the back of his mind that warned him when danger was approaching. It had been getting stronger as the hours passed and he decided to let his father know.

He leaned towards his father and said, "Father, I have a feeling that danger coming. I've had these feeling before and I haven't been wrong. I don't know from where their coming but I know they're after Kagome again."

Inutaisho nodded his head in understanding as he called one of his guards towards him and whispered something in his ear. The guard bowed as he left to do his bidding as Inutaisho continued to enjoy the food he was given.

Once dinner was done everyone went into the great hall that was set up for dancing. The band was in place as the Queen looked at her daughter and nodded with a smile.

Kagome took the hint and then turned to Inuyasha and said, "Inuyasha, its tradition that we open the first dance for the evening. Would you do me the honor?"

Inuyasha smiled at her as he led her to the dance floor. The band began to play as he held her in his arms. They started to move to the sound of the music that the band was playing. They moved as if they were floating on air as Inuyasha twirled Kagome around like an expert dancer. Soon the other people at the dinner joined them on the dance floor as the party really got started.

The feeling was getting stronger as Inuyasha held Kagome in his arms. He stopped as he sniffed the air and caught an intruder near by. He held Kagome closer to him as he scanned the area trying to find them.

Kagome seeing that Inuyasha was holding her tight knew that there was danger somewhere near by. She closed her eyes as she concentrated trying to find what he was sensing.

Kagome caught the familiar aura as she said, "Hojo is back and he has brought company with him."

At that moment Inuyasha jumped with Kagome in his arms as a shot rang out and just barely missed them as they got out of the way.

Women were screaming as the dancers on the floor got out of the way of the shots being fired. The guards were summoned as they tried to find the shooters.

Inutaisho came running up to his son as he was barking orders to his guards. They were using their noses to sniff out the enemy as one by one they found them. Kagome and Inuyasha kept moving as the shooters were determine to get one of them. They had stopped and Inuyasha was protecting her as she got a feeling that danger was near.

She didn't get a chance to use her miko powers as a shot was fired directly at Inuyasha. Kagome did the only thing she could do for her beloved as she shoved him out of harms way and got hit with the bullet that was meant for him.

Inuyasha got up off the floor and looked to see who had shoved him. He noticed that Kagome was on the ground lying in a pool of her own blood as he screamed, "KAGOME!"

Inuyasha rushed to her side and picked her up in his arms, he held her to keep her safe from the people that were trying to kill them.

Inutaisho hearing his son's distress ran over to him and saw what had happened. He saw his son holding his mate protecting her as he scanned the area for the one who did this. It was now personnel, they had attacked a member of his family and they were going to pay for it with their lives.

Inutaisho yelled in a language that only his guards could understand as he ordered them to find the intruder and bring them all to him. He wanted their leader and he was going to make him pay for what he had done.

The intruders were all gathered up as they were brought to Inutaisho. The humans have never seen the full anger of a demon before but when they gazed upon the Lord of the Western Lands it was a look that no man wanted to see.

Inutaisho towered over the humans that dared attack his family. He looked over at his son who was still holding his mate in his arms as he turned back to the intruders. He spotted Hojo among them as he had one of his guards bring him forward.

Hojo was shoved toward Inutaisho as he shook with fear. He saw the anger on the demons face and wished that he could just leave.

Inutaisho anger grew as he said, "Was it worth it? Was it worth almost killing the girl that you wanted to have as your wife?"

Hojo didn't understand what he was talking about when Inutaisho turned and pointed to towards his son, who was holding his mate.

Hojo saw that Kagome was hurt and tried to go towards her but the guards stopped him.

He had never meant to hurt Kagome as he looked at the demon in front of him and said, "This is all your fault! If you demons never came here then this would've never happened. I could've had Kagome as my wife and we would be happy together."

Inutaisho became enraged as he said, "We would've never come here if your slavers hadn't captured my son and almost killed him. This girl saved him from that fate and now she has done it again. This only tells me that she cares deeply for him, more than you ever will for her!"

At that point Inutaisho eyes turned red as his anger was getting the better of him. Then he heard the gentle call of his son as his eyes turned back to normal and he turned towards his son.

Inuyasha had been hearing everything that was happening as he gently said, "Father, don't, Kagome would never want this. She has shown me that everyone deserves a chance and I can't let you kill him."

Inutaisho couldn't believe his ears. His son was asking him not to kill this filth that had just hurt his mate. "Inuyasha, this human just hurt your mate you can't expect me just to back down from this. It's a direct assault on our family."

"Father, if you kill him then you will be no better than the demons who lived all those years ago. I believe that we are better than that. If we want a future where we can all live in peace then let Kagome's father deal with him. Let him show us that they can take care of the humans that do us harm." Inuyasha said with pain in his voice as he held Kagome closer to him.

Inuyasha looked at Hojo and said, "You've hurt my mate and if it wasn't for her I would've let my father kill you. But I know that Kagome wouldn't want that. She is better than that and she deserves to be happy. So I will let her father deal with you and I hope that you get everything that you deserve."

King Higurashi ordered his men to take the intruders away. He would deal with them later after he knew that his daughter was going to be all right. His men came in quickly and got them out of there before the demon lord changed his mind on killing them on the spot.

The Queen came towards Inuyasha and said, "Inuyasha, could you bring Kagome upstairs for me. The healers are here and they want to tend to her wounds."

Inuyasha heard her request as he slowly got up from the ground with Kagome in his arms. He followed her upstairs to where the healers were waiting to treat Kagome.

It had been hours since the healers had arrived to treat Kagome's wounds. They were all standing in the hallway, waiting on any news on how she was doing.

The healers finally came out of the room, that Kagome was in, after two hours of them working on her. Everyone that was standing in the hallway turned to the healer as he came out to talked to Kagome's parents.

The healer lowered his head and said, "We got the bullet out but she has lost a lot of blood. She is weak and I don't know if she will survive the night."

Everyone gasped at the news that Kagome might die. Kagome's mother collapsed to the floor at hearing the news that her baby might not make it. King Higurashi was at her side trying to comfort her as they grieved for the loss of their daughter.

Inuyasha turned to his father and said, "Father, I can't let her die." As he lowered his head and closed his eyes in frustration, at hearing the news that his mate might die.

Inutaisho understood what his son was saying as he turned towards the girls grieving parents and said, "There is a way that we can save her."

The King and Queen looked up into Inutaisho face as the King said, "What can you do to save her life?"

Inutaisho braced himself as he tried to explain. "When Inu Youkai mate they mate for life. We give our blood to our mates that will enable them to live as long as we do. In this way we will always be together and when the time comes for us to pass we will both leave together. This is the way it has been for centuries. My son can save her if you give your consent for him to complete the mating ritual but once this ritual is completed they will be mated in the eyes of my kingdom, in your terms they will be married."

The King and Queen looked at each other as they came to a decision then the King said, "We give our consent. Please save her."

Inutaisho turned to his son and said, "You will only be able to do two out of the three things needed for the mating ritual. You will have to wait until she is stronger to consummate the mating."

Inuyasha nodded his head in understanding as he entered the room Kagome was in. He saw her lying on the bed. She was pale and her breathing was sallow as he approached. He leaned down and said in her ear, "I will not let you die Koishii, please accept my gift."

Inuyasha moved towards her head as he tilted her head back to open her mouth. Then he used his claw to cut his wrist as he held it up to Kagome's mouth and allowed the blood to drip into her mouth.

Kagome swallowed the hot liquid that was in her mouth as Inuyasha continued to give her the red liquid that would save her life. He stopped only when he started to feel weak from giving her too much of his blood. He pulled his wrist away from her as he licked his wound to make it close. He was tired but he had to finish what he had started.

He leaned down as he kissed her gently on her lips as he moved his head towards her neck. He started to lick and kiss his way down to the junction where her neck and shoulder met as he gently caressed that area. His eyes turned blood red as his fangs grew longer.

Inuyasha said, "MATE!" and then bit down on her shoulder as his fangs went deeper into her skin.

Kagome moaned as he did this not fully waking up from her ordeal. When he pulled his fangs out he started to lick her neck so that her wound could close to stop the flow of blood.

Kagome slowly opened her eyes to see Inuyasha enjoying her neck. She reached up and started to rub his ear as she heard the gentle purr coming from his chest. She felt him go still in her arms as she continued her administration of his ear. She held him in her embrace enjoying the feeling of having him in her arms once again.

She heard her door opening as she turned to see Inutaisho entering the room she was in.

Kagome was tired and she wanted to sleep as Inutaisho reached over and pulled his son away from Kagome. He held his sleeping form in his arms with his head resting upon his shoulder. Kagome looked at him as she knitted her eyebrows together as if asking a question.

Inutaisho saw her expression and said, "You have been shot and were almost killed. Inuyasha has done two out of the three steps needed in the mating ritual to save your life. You must consummate the mating before the end of the third day. I will take him so you can rest, we will see you in the morning." He inclined his head towards her as Kagome closed her eyes and fell asleep. Thinking about the day when she and Inuyasha will finally be together.

Inutaisho walked out of Kagome's room with a sleeping Inuyasha in his arms. He saw the King and Queen and said, "Kagome's is resting. They will have to finish what Inuyasha started before the end of the third day. If they don't then we will both lose our children. I will send someone to come get Kagome in the morning. We are going back to the Western Lands where they can be protected until such time as they are strong enough to return on their own."

The King and Queen nodded their head in agreement as they saw the Lord of the Western Land leave with his son in his arms.

Inutaisho went back to the hotel that they had rented, he put his son in his room as he heard him groan and then fell back asleep. He knew that Inuyasha wouldn't wake up for at least a couple of days from all the blood he had to give the girl to save her.

He walked back out into the main room as he told his guards what to do. They all set out to accomplish their tasks as they waited for the morning to arrive.

oOo

Morning arrived and Inutaisho sent Miroku to go and get Kagome. He knew he could trust him to take care of the girl until they got back to the hotel so they could travel back to the Western Lands.

When he arrived the Queen escorted him up to Kagome's room. They had gotten her ready for travel and her friend Sango was keeping her company.

Kagome was still asleep when Miroku entered the room and he saw Sango sitting there. He didn't know what to do as he stood by the door, his distress evident on his face as he looked at his beloved.

Sango seeing his distress got up from her chair and approached Miroku and said, "Miroku, I've thought it over. If Kagome can love a hanyou and have no regrets in doing so, then I can love a full demon with no regrets. I love you Miroku and I want to be with you."

Miroku couldn't believe what he was hearing. Sango had agreed to be his mate and he was happy. He walked towards her and asked, "Are you sure? Are you sure that you would want to have me as your mate for life?"

Tears started to come out of Sango's eyes as she said, "Yes."

Miroku smiled as he leaned down and kissed her passionately. When they broke apart he said, "Sango, I have to go with Kagome back to Lord Inutaisho. We are leaving to go to the Western Lands so they can be protected. I want you to come with me."

Sango smiled as she said, "Yes, I'll go with you. That's why I have been waiting here for you. I knew that Inuyasha's father would send you to get Kagome."

Miroku smiled as he walked over to Kagome and picked her up in his arms as he walked out of her room with Sango following closely behind.

He arrived back at the hotel and as soon as the cars stopped Inutaisho emerged from the hotel with an equally sleeping Inuyasha in his arms. They got in the car and Inutaisho noticed that Sango was there with Miroku; he smiled at her as the drivers took off towards the Western Lands.

They traveled to the point where they would have to travel through the forest to get back to their lands. When they left the cars Shawn and Mike greeted them as they were waiting for them in the forest, making sure that the passage was safe.

Miroku handed Kagome to Shawn as he turned to Sango and picked her up in his arms as they started to run towards the Western Lands.

Sango was amazed at the speed in which they traveled. They had made it back to the Western Lands in a couple of hours as Miroku took Sango and showed her around the castle.

Inutaisho and Shawn were climbing the stairs to the castle as the staff greeted the returned of their lord. He asked if everything had been prepared and they had said that everything was in place.

They went towards Inuyasha's room and when they opened the door, the room had been fully restored back to its original state. There had been some modifications made to the room as it had a bigger bed for the two to sleep more comfortably. There were flowers that decorated the room and Kagome had her own closet with all the clothes she would ever need.

They placed the couple on the bed, next to each other, as everyone but Inutaisho left the room. Inutaisho stayed to make sure that his son was all right. He saw his son's nose twitch as he caught the scent of his mate. He rolled over and brought her into his embrace as he continued to sleep while he said, "My Mate, Mine!"

Inutaisho smiled as he left the room, he would have to make sure that no one disturbed them for the next two days. He hoped that they would wake up by the third day and finish what Inuyasha started before he loses his son.

oOo

Hi everyone this is the end to another chapter. So there you have it. They will be together for all eternity.

Yes you know what's coming. The lemon will be in the next chapter. But there are some surprises in stored for our happy couple. You have to wait and see what it is.

Alright Inuyashamaster I will post the lemon really soon. So if you receive two emails this time its for real. I did post two chapters. giggle

Remember to review and tell me what you think. I will update shortly with the next chapter.

Until the next chapter!

Cindy


	14. Chapter 14

This chapter contains a Lemon. If you are not 18 years of age or older or you do not like this sort of stuff then you need to leave. You have been warned of the adult nature of this chapter.

Chapter 14 (LEMON)

Inuyasha started to stir on the third day. He slowly stretched his aching body as he tried to remember what had happened. He picked up a scent that he recognized and it soothed his hurting soul.

He remembered his mate getting attacked and being told that she wouldn't survive the night. He had told his father that he couldn't let her die and had performed two out of the three steps for the mating ritual.

He felt when his mate had awaken and started to rub his ear and that's the last thing he could remember.

He opened his eyes to find himself back in his room and that it had been fully restored. He was amazed that his father could've done this in such a short period of time. He looked down to see a sleeping Kagome in his arms breathing gently as he held her in his embrace.

Inuyasha was overcome with joy as he held her closer to him. He lowered his head and started to kiss her neck.

Kagome started to moan with pleasure as she felt a hot, wet tongue on her neck. She leaned her head just slightly in order to give him more room to explore her neck.

Inuyasha's hands were equally as busy as he was slowly caressing her body. He ran his hand gently down the side of her body as he brought it up in front of her to pull her body flush against his.

His hand had found one of her breast as it gently started to massage it, which caused Kagome to moan more with pleasure.

She opened her eyes to see the love of her life wanting her attention as she rolled over and kissed him with such force that it took his breath away.

Inuyasha's hand was slowly pulling on her sleeping kimono as he undid the ties in the front. He slowly opened it, to expose her body. It was the most beautiful site he had ever seen. Her body was perfect as he gazed upon her beauty. He continued to kiss down her neck as Kagome fell into his arms in pure pleasure.

Her scent was starting to change, which fuelled Inuyasha to continue as he found one of her breast and gently started to suckle on it. He ran his tongue over the hard nipple as it stood at attention for him to have. His other hand found the other breast as he gently started to massage it while his fingers gently played with the harden nipple.

Kagome was in pure ecstasy at the feeling that she was getting from her mate. He knew how to make her feel good as he continued to explore her body with his hands.

She got an idea and placed a barrier on the door to prevent anyone from coming in and ruining what they were doing, like they had done in the past. This was feeling too good to stop and she would probably kill the first person that would disturb them.

Inuyasha continued to suckle on her breast as he moved to the other one to give it some much needed attention. His eyes turned red as he continued with his actions, while his hands were moving down her body.

Kagome moved her hands up to his ears and gently started to rub them. She heard his gentle purr from deep in his chest, as he was getting more aggressive with her breast. Her breath hitched as he suckled hard, as a new feeling that she had never felt before was starting to form in her nether region, as he continued his assault.

He caressed her leg on the outside before he brought it up on the inside seeking the place where her scent was the strongest.

He finally found the place he was looking for. It was wet and hot to the touch. His nose went wild when he smelled her arousal as his demon side was getting excited, but he wanted to give her pleasure and bring her to her peak before he would take her.

He gently took his hand, being careful of his claws, as he gently began to massage the little wet bundle of nerves. He felt Kagome hitch her breathe and knew that he had reached her very sensitive spot.

Kagome's eye grew wide when she felt him rubbing on something that was making her body come alive. She moaned in pleasure, as she was starting to breath hard from what he was doing.

Her body was becoming tense as he was bringing her to her peak. Inuyasha feeling that she was close to releasing stopped his assault on her breast and trailed hot kisses down her stomach and paused to give her navel some attention. He ran his tongue around her navel and heard Kagome moan with desire. She was enjoying his attention.

He heard his mate hitch her breath as his tongue ran over her stomach. He felt her trembling in his arms as he continued to go down until he reached the place where his fingers were.

His tongue replaced his fingers as he felt that Kagome was losing control.

Kagome was feeling a pressure building up inside her and it wanted to let go. It was a feeling that was hard to describe as he continued his assault on her body.

He felt Kagome shutter as she screamed his name in pure ecstasy as she released her sweet juices.

Inuyasha couldn't hold off his urges anymore his demon side wanted to claim her as his own. He stood as he removed his Hakama and climbed over her body to kiss her once again. When he pulled away from her he saw that her eyes were glassy and clam. He positioned himself at her entrance as he started to slowly enter her.

He slowly rocked back and forth until he reached her barrier, he looked at her and then said, in her ear, "I'm sorry Koishii but this will hurt."

Kagome nodded her agreement for him to continue as he gave one more push to break the barrier of her maidenhood as he kissed her before she could scream in pain. He held her in his arms as he slowly started to move. The pain was starting to go away as it was replaced with pure pleasure.

His gentle movement was building the heat between them as Kagome wrapped her legs around his waist to deepen it. Inuyasha started to go faster as he felt her react to his movements and their passion was starting to grow.

Kagome was feeling the same pressure building again as her mate hit her in places she never thought possible. He was slowly building the heat up again as he continued to go faster bringing her close to releasing.

Kagome got the sudden urge to bite Inuyasha neck as her teeth grew longer and fangs came out of her mouth. She bit into his shoulder as she finally came. She pulled him closer to her as her body shuttered in the aftermath of her release and then gently pulled away, licking his wound closed.

Inuyasha was close to his release, he felt his mate come to her end as she clamped down on his hard member then he felt her bite into his neck. His demon blood boiled as his fangs grew and he bit her neck as well. His end finally came as he spilled his seed inside her finally claiming her as his own.

They were both breathing hard as he laid on top of her trying to catch his breath. He felt her still licking his shoulder when he pulled away from her and looked into her most perfect eyes.

Kagome smiled at him as he leaned down and kissed her again. He rolled off her as he held her in his arms. Kagome had wrapped her arms around his chest as she brought him closer to her. Her body was flushed against his and she felt safe in his arms.

Kagome yawned as she finally fell asleep cuddled in her new mates arms as he pulled the covers over their naked bodies and draped his leg over her lower leg to keep her close to his. He put his head down into her hair as her scent soothed his tired body.

He fell asleep with her in his arms thinking that this was the way it was suppose to be and that for once no one had interrupted what he was doing with Kagome.

oOo

Inutaisho had been in his office pacing back and forth. It has been three days since Inuyasha had started the mating ritual and he needed to complete it by tonight before they both died. He was sure that his son would awaken before tonight but there was still a part of him that wanted to make sure he woke up in time to finish the ritual.

He came to a decision as he stopped his nervous pacing and walked out of his office heading towards Inuyasha's room. He was about to open the door when a barrier appeared and prevented him from entering the room.

He looked at the barrier and wondered where it had come from when he heard his son moaning inside his room. He heard the girl yell his name as she finally reached her peak as what was going on inside the room was starting to heat up.

Inutaisho smiled knowing that his son was finally awake and that Kagome was the one who set up the barrier to prevent someone, like himself, from entering the room to disturb what they were doing.

He smiled as he turned around and headed towards his office, happy that the girl was now his mate, with the ritual finally complete.

He would hate the day when they would leave to go back to the girl's family. But he knew that they would have to travel back there to give her parents comfort that she was alive and well.

He would have to make sure that he gave them an escort. He still didn't trust the humans fully and he feared for their safety. There were still some humans out there that wanted to do them harm and he would do everything in his power to protect them.

oOo

Kagome finally woke up sometime in the middle of the night. She was hungry and they had been sleeping for the better part of the day. She remembered the wonderful feeling she had gotten from Inuyasha when he brought her body to life.

She never thought it would be that wonderful but he was gentle in everything he did. She loved him deeply and as she looked up into his sleeping face, she couldn't help but kiss those wonderful lips that were waiting for her.

Inuyasha felt soft lips were being pressed against his. They were gently caressing his lips as a nice wet tongue was running across his lips getting them wet. He moaned as he brought the person in his arms closer to him and kissed her back.

He enjoyed her long and passionate kiss as he brought her closer to him, he opened his eyes to see two perfect blue one's looking at him with a smile on her face. He smiled back at her as he asked, "How do you feel? I didn't hurt you did I?"

Kagome smiled and said, "No, you didn't hurt me and I feel wonderful but I'm hungry could we go and get something to eat."

Inuyasha smiled wickedly at her as he said, "I don't need any food I have all I want to eat right here." As he attacked her neck and she giggled at the feeling. He pulled away from her and knew that she was hungry as he looked outside and saw that it was dark.

He sighed as he said, "It's in the middle of the night and no one is awake, we would have to go down to the kitchen and get something eat from down there."

Kagome smiled as she got out of bed, she found a robe and put it on. Inuyasha was smiling as he saw his mate's perfect body. He got out of bed and found his own robe as he took her hand and they opened the door very slowly to see if there was anyone outside in the hallway.

Inuyasha saw that the hallway was empty as they made their way down towards the kitchen. You could hear them both giggling, acting like two mischievous kids who weren't suppose to be out of bed, this late at night, roaming the hallways.

They made it down to the kitchen as Inuyasha opened the door very slowly and peeked in. He saw that no one was in the kitchen as he turned on the lights and they walked in.

Kagome couldn't believe the size of the kitchen it was bigger than the one her father had in his home. They went to the refrigerator to see what they could find. Kagome got an idea as she pulled the stuff she wanted out of the refrigerator and then found some pots and pans to cook with.

It didn't take Kagome long to whip up something for them to eat as the smell of her food filled the kitchen with its wonderful aroma.

Inuyasha was helping her cook when Kagome turned around to get another ingredient and screamed when she saw Inuyasha father standing there looking at them. He had scared the living crap out of her by just appearing there all of a sudden without making any noise.

Inuyasha had quickly turned with his claws drawn, when he saw his father he backed down, clearly relieved that it was no real threat.

He looked at his father and asked, "What are you doing up this late at night?"

Inutaisho raised an eyebrow and said, "I was about to ask you two the same question. Who can sleep when there's a wonderful smell going around the castle?" He turned to his mate and smiled at her.

Kagome had calmed down enough to smile weakly at him. 'Shit! I have to learn to keep my senses open for approaching threats, he scared the crap out of me.'

She picked up the smell of something burning as she turned around and found that the food she was making was ruined. She turned around with anger in her eyes as she said in a deadly voice, "This is why I hate having people around me when I'm cooking. I hate burning my food!"

Inuyasha picked up on her anger as he slowly started to back away from his mate. He grabbed his father's arm when Kagome advanced towards them as they turned tail and ran from the kitchen.

They were safely on the other side of the door as Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief.

Inutaisho turned to his son and said, "Is she always like this?"

Inuyasha laughed and said, "Only when she burns her food. It was the first time she let me help her cook and you had to come in and ruin it." He gave his father a dirty look indicating that he was not happy about him showing up in the kitchen scaring his mate.

Inutaisho just shrugged his shoulder, "How should I know that it was your mate that was cooking that wonderful food. You can smell it up in my room. I had no choice, I had to come down and see who was making that food so I could get them to cook for me. But now that I see it's your mate I guess that's out of the question."

Inuyasha was irritated at his father for even making a suggestion like that. He sighed as his ears picked up the sound of the pots and pans moving again.

He peeked inside the door and noticed that Kagome was again busy making food, she sensed that he was about to enter the kitchen as she yelled, "Don't even think about coming in here until I'm done cooking. You're just going to have to wait with your father out there until I'm done."

Inuyasha lowered his ears as he stepped back out of the kitchen. He noticed the look on his fathers face as he "Feh" and turned away from him, clearly not happy about being kicked out of the kitchen.

Kagome cleaned up the mess of her ruined food. She hated to be distracted when she was cooking because it would always cause her to burn her food and she hated that.

She went back to the refrigerator and got some more food so she can make something else. She put some extra food in the pot because she knew that Inuyasha father would be staying to eat now that he was out of bed.

She smiled while she was thinking, 'If we stay here then I will have to learn how to cook for a lot of people because they will all want to try some of my food. I enjoy cooking but I have never cooked for a lot of hungry demons before. If their appetite were the same as Inuyasha and his friends then I would be cooking forever to feed them all.

It's strange I never thought that I could be this happy with anyone. I have been attacked all my life and have always been protected by my father's guards. Now that I'm with Inuyasha I feel safe and loved, like this is the life I was looking for.'

Kagome continued to cook as she became sad at what she had done to her mate. 'I have to apologize to Inuyasha for yelling at him. He didn't deserved to be yelled at, he only wanted to see what I was doing, so he could learn. He told me that he was never allowed in the kitchen so cooking, for him, was interesting.'

When she was done she turned off the fire and prepared to serve the food. She felt a presence behind her as she quickly turned to see a demon in the kitchen with her. She had never seen this one before and thought that it was one of the kitchen staff as she swallowed hard and said, "I'm sorry for getting your kitchen dirty I'll make sure that I clean everything up for you."

The figure just stood there not moving or saying anything, it just looked at her with blood red eyes. The hair on the back of Kagome's neck started to stand up as she felt the malice that this demon felt for her.

The demon charged as it came towards her with his claws extended.

Kagome didn't have time to think as she brought up her hands and a barrier came up. As the demon hit the barrier he let out an anguish howl as it threw him to the other side of the room.

oOo

Inuyasha had been waiting for Kagome to finish on the other side of the door. He picked up a scent that he didn't recognized as he started to growl.

His father seeing that his son was growling sniffed the air and caught the same scent. Inuyasha's ear turned toward the kitchen as he rushed in he saw a demon about to attack his mate. He saw when Kagome raised her hands and repelled the demon with her barrier as she sent him flying towards the other side of the room.

Inuyasha rushed to her side as the demon got back up on his feet and made ready another attack. Inuyasha had pushed Kagome behind him to protect her as his father appeared in front of him and looked at the demon that had dared enter his home.

The demon didn't recognizing who was in front of him as he charged and lashed out with his claws. Inuyasha's father quickly sidestepped the attack and gave the demon a blow to the back of the neck sending the creature down to the ground unconscious.

Inutaisho looked at his son and nodded his head to see if he was all right.

Inuyasha smiled indicating that he was fine as he turned to his mate and said, "Are you all right? He didn't hurt you did he?" as he brought her into his embrace.

Kagome slowly wrapped her arms around her mate, as she held on tight. She was definitely having a busy day. First the mating, then she burned the food, now she had been attacked in Inuyasha's home and she didn't understand why all this was happening to her. She thought that she would be safe here but that was proving to be wrong.

Kagome looked at the demon that was lying on the ground and notice the necklace that was around his neck. She released her mate as she walked over to the fallen demon wanting to get a closer look at the necklace. She reached for it as the demon snapped his eyes open and grabbed her wrist.

Kagome winced in pain as the demon stood. He was trying to take her away when she yelled, "Don't hurt him, it's not his fault on what he's doing."

Inuyasha and his father both stopped their attack as they saw Kagome glowing a pure pink. Kagome summon all of her miko powers as she reached up and grabbed the necklace that was around the demons neck and pulled with such force that she broke it.

The demon released her and went down upon his knees as he was panting from what was just done to set him free. He looked up into her beautiful blue eyes and said, "Thank you, my lady for releasing me from that spell. I couldn't stop, it was controlling everything I did."

Inutaisho stepped forward as the demon saw him towering over him. The demon bowed down low to the ground as he said, "My lord, I'm truly sorry for attacking my lady. I didn't want to do it but I was forced. Please forgive me my lord."

Inutaisho called for some of his guards as they came rushing into the kitchen. He told them to take the demon and make sure he got something to eat and that he had a comfortable place to sleep, that he would talk to him in the morning.

The demon on the floor hearing his lord words thanked him as they lead him out of the kitchen.

Inutaisho walked over to Kagome and asked, "How did you know that he was wearing a subduing necklace?"

Kagome was rubbing her wrist as she said; "I saw the necklace around his neck and recognized it from when Inuyasha had one around his neck. The slavers must've put it around his neck as they controlled him to come here and get me. They're afraid of the union because it would ruin their business."

Inutaisho looked at the girl in awe, 'She's smart, I have to give her that much. No one else would've made the connection to the necklace.' He continued to look at her when he saw her turn quickly around and run back to the stove to check on her food.

'Good my food isn't ruined and its still hot at least now we can eat.' Kagome thought as she turned around and smiled as she said, "Well the food isn't burned and it's still hot. Do you want to eat?"

Both men standing in front of her nodded their heads yes as they all sat down to eat the wonderful food she had made.

When Inutaisho was done he said, "Thank you Kagome, that was the best food I have ever eaten. You have to show my cook how to make that. Now if you both would excuse me I have some business to attend to. I want to find out why the guards let an intruder get into the castle." He stood as he left the kitchen looking for the sergeant of the guards.

Kagome looked at her mate with concern in her eyes, "He isn't going to hurt anyone is he?"

Inuyasha laughed as he said, "No, but it doesn't mean he won't scare the crap out of them for failing in their task to keep the castle secure."

Kagome shook her head in disgust as she got up and started to clean up the kitchen before she went back to bed. It was getting late and she wanted to rest. She felt drained from using all of her miko powers to break the necklace that the demon was wearing.

Inuyasha helped her clean up the mess before they headed back upstairs. When they got into their room Inuyasha brought her into his arms as he kissed her. He started to purr and Kagome started to feel weak. She tried to pull away from him so he wouldn't put her to sleep but the more he purred the more tired she became as she went limp in his arms.

Inuyasha smiled, he picked her up and laid her in the bed as he removed her robe. He knew that she was tired and wouldn't go to sleep so he just helped her a little. She was going to be mad in the morning but at least she would get some rest.

He took off his robe as he lay down next to her and brought her sleeping form closer to him. He put the blankets over them to keep them warms as the sound of her gentle breathing lulled him to sleep.

oOo

Well that's the end to another chapter. I hoped you all like it.

As you can see they are still after them even in the Western Lands. More trouble is on its way as the couple get used to being together. The people after them will not give up without a fight and Kagome and Inuyasha are determined to stay together no matter what.

Remember to leave me a review to tell me what you think.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	15. Chapter 15

This chapter contains a Lemon. If you are not 18 years of age or older or you do not like this sort of stuff then you need to leave. You have been warned of the adult nature of this chapter. I will warn you before the Lemon begins so if you want to leave you can.

Chapter 15 (Lemon)

Shippo was heading towards the castle. He had heard that Inuyasha was back and that he was feeling better. He thought that he could get his friend to come out and play with him today.

He ran towards his room as he gently opened the door and peeked in. He saw Inuyasha lying in bed as he ran towards him like he had done on so many other occasions and jumped on his sleeping friend.

What he didn't expect was the reaction he got from Inuyasha at having been woken up so abruptly by being jumped on.

Inuyasha felt when someone had landed on him as his eyes instantly opened and his claw was lashing out at the intruder.

Kagome sensing that Shippo was approaching had opened her eyes to greet the kit, he had jumped on Inuyasha with such force that she saw her mate lash out as she quickly grabbed Shippo and moved him out of harms way.

Inuyasha was breathing hard at what he almost did to his friend as he looked at Shippo and said, "Shippo, don't ever do that again. Now that I'm mated I react differently than I used to. My instincts are to protect my mate and I could've really hurt you."

Shippo looked up into his eyes as he started to cry and said, "I'm sorry Inuyasha, all I wanted was to ask you if you would come out and play with me."

Inuyasha looked outside to see that the sun was just about to come up. He groaned and said, "Shippo it's just barely light outside. Couldn't you at least wait until the sun was up?"

Kagome held Shippo closer to her as she said, "Don't worry about it Shippo." She gently rocked him back and forth trying to soothe the crying child in her arms and then she got an idea. "I know how about I fix us all something to eat and then we could go out to play."

Shippo's eyes just lit up, "Do you mean it? You're going to come out and play with me."

"Yes Shippo, but first you have to give me a chance to get dressed. How about I meet you down by the kitchen." The kit smiled as he nodded his head in agreement and headed out the door to wait for them by the kitchen door.

Inuyasha sighed as he laid back down and then felt his mate getting out of bed. He looked at her and said, "Where are you going woman? Come back to bed. It's too early to get up."

Kagome looked at him with a raised eyebrow and said, "I have promised Shippo that I will be down in a few minutes to make him breakfast and then play with him. After that I think I will do some training. It's been a while since I've trained and I need to get back to doing it. I don't want to end up looking like you." She started to giggle and she rushed into the bathroom, as a pillow was thrown at her.

Kagome came out of the bathroom wearing black leggings with a short white muscle shirt that barely covered her stomach. Her hair was pulled back in a low ponytail as she made her way towards the door and Inuyasha looked at what she was wearing.

"Hey, where do you think you're going dressed like that?" he said as he sat up in his bed.

Kagome turned towards him and got an irritated look in her eyes, "I told you before, I'm going to go downstairs, cook some breakfast, play with Shippo for a while, and then do some training."

"Not dressed like that you're not." Said the irritated hanyou as he growled to get his point across to her.

Kagome was not in the mood to play with him this morning. He was being overly protective and there was nothing wrong with what she had on. He hadn't complained when he seen her in these type of clothes before.

She got an idea to get her lazy mate out of bed as she said, "I'm going dressed like this and if you don't want me to go out like this then why don't you get your lazy ass out of that bed and join me in doing some training, or are you just afraid that I will kick your ass from here to my kingdom."

That got him, Inuyasha never backed down from a challenge as he said; "Alright what's the prize if I win?"

Kagome looked at him for a few minutes and then said, "The loser will have to do what ever the winner wants for the rest of the day without complaints."

Inuyasha got an evil smile on his face as he said, "Anything the winner wants?"

Kagome swallowed hard, she didn't like were this was going but it was too late to back down from the challenge, plus she knew she could take him. "Yes, anything the winner wants."

Inuyasha moved with such speed that he had her in his embrace before she even knew what was happening as he leaned down and said, "When I win you are going to be sore for a week. I will have you in every position I can think of before the end of the day."

His threat made Kagome weak in the knees as she thought about what he meant. The look in his eyes meant that she wouldn't be getting out of this room until tomorrow if she could even walk out of here.

She swallowed hard and said, "you're on," as she got her composer back and left the room. Inuyasha was clearing yelling at her that she wasn't going out dressed like that.

She raced down to the kitchen and meet Shippo there as they entered the Kitchen to get some breakfast. When she entered she met one of the cooks for the castle.

Kagome stopped as the old woman turned towards her, she was human, and she couldn't believe that a human worked in this castle because she had never seen any around.

Kagome smiled as she said, "I'm sorry, I didn't know that anyone would be up this early in the morning. I promised my friend here that I would fix him some breakfast before we went out to play with him."

The old woman smiled as she said, "Hello my name is Kaede and I am the head cook here. Why don't you come in, sit down, and I will fix you something to eat."

Kagome smiled as she walked towards the old woman, "May I help you? I can cook."

Kaede didn't know what to say she had never met a guest of his lord that could cook before so she took the offer and let the girl join her in cooking their meal.

Kaede was amazed at how fast the young girl can move in a kitchen. She had never before seen anyone cook the way she did. It looked like she had been doing it all her life as she stared in awe at the young girl.

Then she asked, "Excuse me young lady, where did you learn how to cook like this? I have never seen anyone move as fast as you."

Kagome smiled as she said out of embarrassment, for not telling the old woman her name, "I'm sorry I haven't introduced myself to you, my name is Kagome, and I learned how to cook by reading books and by looking at cooking shows on the television."

Kaede eyes grew big as she said, "You're Princess Kagome of the Southern Lands, Prince Inuyasha's mate?"

Kagome nodded her head yes to her questions as she saw the old woman move quickly to her side and bowed profusely in apology, "I'm sorry Princess Kagome I didn't know who you were. I will finish cooking my lady."

Kagome just waved her hand as if to shoo her off and said, "Just because I'm a Princess doesn't mean I don't enjoy cooking. Plus I have to stay in practice. Inuyasha loves to eat."

"That's right old woman I love to eat her food and she's a wonderful cook." Said the arrogant hanyou standing at the door as he walked into the kitchen. He was clearly pissed because Kagome wouldn't change her clothes.

Kagome glared at him, "Inuyasha! Don't be so rude. We were just talking about cooking and if you make me burn my food again I will make sure you pay dearly for it."

Inuyasha ears just flatten on top of his head as he shut his mouth and sat down without saying another word. He didn't want to get her pissed off before he defeated her in battle because then he couldn't have her. He was already planning on everything he was going to do to her once he won the fight.

Kaede saw as the young girl put the hanyou in his place. She was powerful if she could control him. She smiled as she helped the young girl finish the breakfast she was making.

Once they had all eaten Kagome helped Kaede clean up the kitchen before she got started with the breakfast for the rest of the people that were staying in the castle.

Kagome, Inuyasha, and Shippo walked outside into the beautiful morning that greeted them. The birds were singing as they played in the air just chasing each other in a game of tag. There was a gentle breeze that was blowing as she enjoyed just being outside in the forest again.

She turned to Shippo and asked, "What kind of games do you usually play?"

Shippo just shrugged as he said, "Me and Inuyasha just usually run around in the forest and play in the trees I don't know any real games to play."

Kagome thought for a few minutes and then she said, "How about we have a game of hide and seek." Shippo's eyes lit up as he said, "How do you play that?"

Kagome explained the game to her two boys and told them the importance of home base as being a safe zone. The person who was it had to find all of the players and catch them before they reached home base in order to win. If only one person just made it back to home then that person will continue to be it until they caught everyone, the last person caught would be it for the next game.

They all understood the rules to the game as Kagome said with a grin on her face, "Inuyasha, your it."

"Hey! Why do I have to be it?" Inuyasha said in a whiny voice.

Kagome put her hands on her hips as she pointed a finger at her mate and said, "Because I said so. Plus I want to make sure that Shippo understands how to play."

Inuyasha mumbled something about pushy females, as he got ready to chase his mate. This should prove to be easy, he had caught her that one time back at her house when she was running away from him.

Inuyasha closed his eyes and started to count as his mate and Shippo were running away to hide in the forest. He opened his eyes when he reached 50 and sniffed the air as he gave chase.

Kagome already had an idea as she told Shippo what she wanted to do. The kit agreed as they split up in the forest to make it harder on the hanyou to get them.

Kagome knew that he could track her with his nose so she had a surprise for him. When she was deep in the forest she concentrated on her scent as she got rid of it from the area. He would have to use his other senses in order to find her as she continued to run through the forest. She stopped and hid behind a tree to see what was going to happen.

Inuyasha had gone in the direction that his mate and Shippo had taken. He could smell where they were heading as he followed. He came to a junction and he noticed that they had split up. He went after Shippo because he would be the easiest to find.

He didn't have to travel long before he found the kit hiding in a hole at the base of the tree. He pulled him out by his tail and said, "I found you. Now I have to find Kagome; you go and wait by the tree for us. This shouldn't take long."

Shippo looked at his friend with a defeated look in his eyes. He will have to wait by the tree for them; if Kagome made it back to the tree before Inuyasha then he would be it for the next game. But if Inuyasha caught her then Kagome would be it.

Shippo hurried to the tree to cheer Kagome on to make sure that she made it back to the tree before Inuyasha caught her.

Inuyasha ran in the other direction where he knew his mate had gone. He sniffed the air following her scent when all of a sudden it disappeared. He stopped dead in his tracks as he sniffed but he had lost the scent.

'How could I lose her scent, this is impossible, her scent couldn't have vanished like that.' Thought Inuyasha as he stood there and thought about were she could be.

'Alright I know that she's a miko so she is using her miko powers to hide her scent but she might've forgotten about my other abilities.' His ears were moving from side to side trying to pick up on anything that was out of the ordinary. He heard a gentle heartbeat to his right. He now knew where his mate was located.

He continued to run into the forest away from her, he wanted to circle around and then come in behind her to catch her. She was putting all of his tracking abilities to the test. She was good but he knew that he was better as he continued to run deeper into the forest.

Kagome knitted her eyebrow together as she saw her mate taking off in the wrong direction. 'I wonder were he's going? I'm not in that direction. Is he picking up something else in the distance?'

Kagome started to concentrate as she opened her senses as far as it would go. She wanted to see why he was running in that direction. When she did she caught on to what he was doing. He was circling back to get her and if she didn't move he would be there in a few minutes.

Kagome took off into the forest heading back to home base. She was bound and determined not to let him catch her. As her miko powers started to grow she started to get stronger. She was running faster than she ever did before. Her speed could almost rival Inuyasha as she ran through the forest.

She was getting closer to home base, she could see Shippo not to far off in the distance. He was yelling at her to hurry as she made a beeline towards the tree.

Inuyasha had been running behind Kagome this whole time. She was running just as fast as him, if not faster. He couldn't understand how she did this because she wasn't this fast before. It didn't matter to him he was going to get her as he poured on the speed and raced after his mate.

He saw her emerge from the forest as she was almost to home base. If he didn't catch her before she reached it he would be it again. He wasn't about to let that happen, as he leaped into the air seeming like he was flying above her. He landed right in front of her, and Kagome ran right into him.

Kagome had been looking over her shoulder because she could feel Inuyasha aura behind her. She didn't expect to hit something hard as it wrapped its arms around her as they both fell to the ground.

Kagome looked up to see that Inuyasha had effectively blocked her path to home base as he caught her a mere 50 feet from her goal. She sighed as she said, "Inuyasha, how did you get in front of me so fast? You were just behind me a few minutes ago."

Inuyasha held his mate tight as he lowered his head to her ear and said, "You will never out run me," as he licked her ear and felt her shiver in his arms.

She got off her mate as they both stood and went over to the tree and Shippo said, "That was fun, lets do it again." They all agreed as Kagome was it this time and both boys took off into the forest.

They continued to play throughout the morning when Shippo collapsed on the ground and said, "I'm tired I don't want to play any more. I'm going home to rest. I'll see you guys later."

Shippo got up and started to leave as Inuyasha said over his shoulder, "Hey Shippo, we will see you tomorrow we're going to be busy for the rest of the day so we won't see you until the morning." Shippo raised his hand in understanding as he continued to walk away. As he yawned from all the playing he had done that morning.

Kagome watched him leave with a smile on her face. She hadn't had this much fun in a long time. She laid down on the ground as she looked up into the beautiful morning sky.

She closed her eyes as she let her senses wonder throughout the land basking in its rays of sunlight. She felt at home here and she never wanted to leave but she knew she had to go back home and let her parents know that she was alright and that she was well taken care of.

Inuyasha seeing that his mate was lying on the ground couldn't help but pounce on her as he landed right on top of her and kissed her. They held each other in their arms just enjoying each other's company.

When Inuyasha finally pulled away from her, he looked into those beautiful blue eyes and said, "Do you still want to go and do some training or would you rather just submit to me right here and now."

Kagome raised her eyebrow at him as she said, "Oh no dog boy, we're going to do some training. I'm not tried at all. These little games were just a warm up for me so lets get this challenge started. I want to beat your ass."

Inuyasha heard her challenge as he got up off her and smiled an evil smile, "O.K. you asked for it. Come with me there's a training field not too far away from here that we can use. The weapons are kept there because it's were my father and I go to train."

He offered his hand to his mate which she gladly took and stood up as she followed him to the field that they used to train in. 'This is going to be a very interesting training session. I haven't fought with anyone in a long time. I hope that I haven't gone weak in my reflexes or Inuyasha will win this fight.' Thought Kagome as she followed Inuyasha.

oOo

Inutaisho had woken up that morning tired. He had gotten little sleep as he remembered the encounter of the previous night and the intruder that his sergeant of the guards had allowed to get into his home.

He walked down stairs to get some breakfast and noticed that his sons and mate's scents were already downstairs. He wondered what they would be doing up so early in the morning. Only he and Kaede ever got up this early to get an early start to the day.

As he entered the kitchen Kaede greeted him and she placed his food on the table for him. He looked at her and said, "Did my son and his mate already come down to eat?"

Kaede turned to him and bowed as she said, "Yes my lord, they were here a couple of hours ago and they went outside to play in the forest with Shippo."

Inutaisho raised an eyebrow at what he was told as he began to eat his food and thought, 'I have never known Inuyasha to get up before midday but it seems that his mates has other plans for him. They have already left the castle and are in the forest playing with the kit.'

Once he was done with his breakfast he went up to his room to get dressed as he made his way to his office to get some work done. When he was done he thought that he would go outside to see if he could find his son and his mate to see what they were doing.

He walked outside as he sniffed the air looking for their scent, then he caught it as it drifted in on the wind towards his nose. They were at the training field that he and his son use to train in, so he turned and made his way towards that area.

He reached the field and saw them down below getting ready to fight, as he saw his son taking off his shirt. This only meant the he was very serious about the training he was going to have with his mate.

He walked down the hill just a little way and sat down to watch what they were going to do. 'This should prove to be interesting, I want to see how good the girl is and how my son will fair in a fight with her.'

oOo

Kagome and Inuyasha had reached the training field that her mate wanted to use. There were weapons in a weapons rack as they made their way towards them. When Inuyasha reached them he took off his haori and juban as he pulled his hair back and prepared for the training.

Kagome saw as he took off his haori and juban and couldn't help but admire his body. This was going to be hard if she only thought about how good his body looked. She shook her head to get rid of her nasty thoughts and started to concentrate on what she needed to do.

Inuyasha walked over to the weapons rack and pulled out an old sword from it as he said, "Alright we will start with swords, I know that you can use a bow because I've seen you practice with it before, and you're a very good shot. Now I want to see how good you are with a sword."

Kagome smiled as she stepped up to the weapons rack and looked at the swords before she selected one. She picked one that looked about the right length for her as she removed it from its sheath.

The blade was beautiful as she admired it. It fit perfectly into her hand and it seemed to be calling to her as she held it. She sensed the power that was coming from the sword, it was hard to explain but it almost seemed to be accepting her powers as it accepted her as its true owner.

She put the sheath on the ground as she turned to her mate and said, "Alright, are you ready to lose."

"In your dreams mate. I have plans for us, so I'm going to end this quickly so we can get to them." He said with a wicked smile on his face, as he watched his mate turn bright red from embarrassment.

Inuyasha was using his regular sword he wanted to have his sword in case his mate proved to be a lot stronger than he thought. He wouldn't transform it before he really needed it. He didn't want to use its next level of power unless she was really good and she could handle the power that his sword held.

He stepped forward and got ready to fight as he brought his sword forward in the attack position as Kagome brought her sword forward in a defensive position.

Inuyasha wasted no time as he attacked Kagome. He swung his sword down as she blocked his attack. He continued to swing his sword as he pushed forward making Kagome retreat as she blocked all of his hits.

Kagome smiled, 'He isn't using all of his strength to fight me. I'm never going to get stronger unless he does, so it's time for me to attack and make him think twice about winning this fight.'

Kagome got her second wind as she began to attack him. She moved with such speed that it took Inuyasha completely by surprise. It was now his turn to be on the defensive as she attacked without mercy. Her swings had power behind them as she brought her sword down and it met his as they fought with each other to see who was stronger.

Inuyasha used his strength as he pushed her back and continued to attack. The more they fought the stronger they got. Soon Kagome was starting to beat him as he was pushed away from her and she said, "Are you ready to give up yet?"

Inuyasha smiled as he said, "No way, its time to take it up a notch." As he said this he gave the hilt of his sword a squeeze and then swung it in front of him as it transformed into something a lot stronger and much longer. It grew to twice the size and almost looked like a fang as he held it out in front of him.

Kagome's eyes grew large as she saw his sword. 'He is serious about winning this fight, he must have some serious plans if he brought out the power of his sword.' She smiled as she said, "Well its about time, I was about to beat your ass if you didn't get serious about our sparring."

Inuyasha got his second wind as he started to attack her with more power. Kagome was losing as he continued his assault, she had to find more power to fight him or she would lose the fight.

As if by calling it Kagome sword began to pulse as it drew in her miko power and grew longer. It reacted with Inuyasha's sword as it filled Kagome with the power she didn't know she had. As she swung her sword it came to life as it hit his sword and blocked all of his assaults. This match was proving to be one of the best one's they had both fought in a long time.

oOo

Inutaisho was sitting on the hill watching as Kagome and Inuyasha were having their training down in the field. He was impressed with the girl's ability to fight with a sword, something that most females never excelled in except Inuyasha's mother.

Now there was a woman that could fight with anything given to her. She had strength and she had beauty.

Inutaisho sat on the hill thinking about his long dead mate as he saw more of her come out in the girl down below. Then he saw Kagome's sword start to glow as he sat up and took a closer look at the sword she was wielding.

'That sword belonged to Izayoi no one has ever been able to wield that sword. It had rejected anyone who ever touched it. But Kagome is holding on to it and it grew in length. The sword must've accepted her as it's new owner.' He thought with amazement as he saw Kagome use the sword like an expert.

He continued to watch with interest to see how far Kagome would transform the sword. He wanted to see if she held at least the same power as Inuyasha's mother.

oOo

Inuyasha continued his assault as Kagome was blocking all of his hits. At one point they both knocked the swords out of each other's hands, as it was now time for hand-to-hand combat.

'She's good with a sword now lets see how she fairs with just fighting with her hands.' He moved fast as he attacked her. He never made a move to hurt her or even hit her, he was only going to pin her to the ground to make her submit to him, but she had other ideas.

Kagome saw him coming towards her as she got ready and put a barrier up to effectively block his attack. He hit the barrier and was pushed back a couple of feet as he readied his claws and attacked her barrier.

Kagome kept her barrier up but she was weakening. Hand to hand combat was one of her weakest points.

Inuyasha attacked her barrier without mercy as she continued to strengthen it as much as she could. He charged again and that's when he broke her barrier and charged towards her. He grabbed her by the throat as he pinned her to the ground, he was on top of her pinning her hands over her head as he held her still.

Kagome's memories of what had happened the day that Kouga attacked her started to come back. She fought to get Inuyasha off her as she started to scream her head off.

Inuyasha didn't know what to do. She was out of control as she was fighting with him to get him off of her. He held onto her as she was beginning to cry, she begged for him to get off and not to hurt her.

He lowered his head as he whispered in her ear, "Koishii, its me I won't hurt you." He started to purr and licked her neck as she started to calm down. When she finally stopped struggling to get out of his grip he released her wrists as he continued to lick her neck.

Kagome finally realized what was happening as she wrapped her arms around him and continued to cry.

Kagome went limp in his arms as he held her close to him. He got off her as he brought her with him and sat her in his lap. He was gently rocking her back and forth to calm her down from her memories.

She wrapped her arms around his chest as she held on to him and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't want that to happen. I tried to forget that day but when you held me down that way it all came back to me." She buried her head in his chest as she cried and held on to him.

Inuyasha knew what she was talking about as he held onto her. Her memories of the day she almost got raped by Kouga was still fresh in her mind but she had to over come her fears or else they could be used against her. But right now the only thing he wanted to do was protect and comfort his mate.

He continued to rock her and rub her back in small circles as he got his mate to calm down. He pulled away from her and raised her chin so he could look at her face.

Her face was dirty from all the sweat and dirt she had on it as the tears left streaks down her cheeks. He leaned down and licked her tears away from her face. When he was done he leaned in and kissed her with such passion that she melted into his arms.

He pulled away from her for some much needed air as he looked into her eyes and said, "Do you feel better now?"

"Yes, I feel a lot better now." She smiled at him as she pulled him closer to her. She didn't want to let go of him. She loved him and always wanted to be with him.

Inuyasha held her close as he comforted her. He then said, "Do you want to continue with the training?" As he pulled her away from him so he could look into her eyes.

She put her head down and said in a very tired voice, "No, I don't want to continue. I'm too tired and all of those bad memories just drained what little energy I had left in my body."

"Are you sure you don't want to continue with the training?" He was trying to be nice before he declared himself the winner of the training session.

"Yes, I'm sure all I want to do is go back and take a shower." She said as she rested her head on his shoulder feeling the exhaustion taking over her body.

"Well I guess that means I win this fight." At his statement Kagome pulled away from him, as she finally understood what was happening.

Inuyasha had given her every opportunity to continue with the training and she had refused. That meant the Inuyasha had won the bet and she had no choice but to do what ever he said for the rest of the day with no complaints.

Kagome pouted as she spoke with a dejected voice, "Yes, you won this fight, but don't think that you will win anymore in the future. I'll be ready for you."

Inuyasha laughed as he brought her closer and said, "Don't worry its not going to be that bad. I have plans for us and I'm pretty sure your going to enjoy every minute of it."

When he finished his statement he leaned down and kissed her. He wrapped his arms around her slender form and pulled her closer to him, just enjoying her scent that was driving him mad with passion.

They never noticed the demon that was coming out of the forest and heading straight for them, because they were too busy with each other.

oOo

Inutaisho had been watching what was happening down in the field. They had gone into hand-to-hand combat and when Inuyasha had pinned the girl to the ground she freaked.

His son had told him what had happened to the girl when she first came to his kingdom to visit. It seemed that she was having flash backs from that day as she was fighting his son to get him off her.

He saw as his son calmed the girl down and was holding her in his embrace as he rocked her. She seemed to calm and then she wrapped her arms around his chest as he held her close to comfort her.

He saw them kissing and knew that this was going to go in a new direction that he didn't want to witness.

He stood to leave as his nose caught a scent that didn't belong to the two down in the field. He scanned the area looking for intruders when he spotted a demon emerging from the forest, as it was making its way towards his son and mate. They were so busy with each other that they didn't notice the intruder coming towards them.

Inutaisho took off at a dead run trying to get to his son and mate before the demon reached them. He saw the demon stop in front of them as it raised its claws high into the air and made to slash his son.

Inutaisho put on a burst of speed as he made it to his son, grabbed him and his mate and moved them out of the way before the claw made contact with the ground.

Inuyasha looked up to see his father was holding him and his mate as his father stared over his shoulder and growled. Inuyasha then picked up the scent of a demon as he released his mate and stood next to his father ready to join him in the fight.

Inutaisho looked at Kagome and asked, "Kagome, is this demon being controlled like the one last night with a subduing necklace?"

Kagome looked at the demon and said, "No, he isn't wearing a necklace so he's not being controlled."

"Good, then I'll have no regrets about killing him for attacking my family." He said as he looked up at the demon standing in front of him and started to flex his claws.

Inutaisho looked at his son and he said through gritted teeth, "Inuyasha, I want you to protect your mate. Leave this fight to me."

Inuyasha backed down at his father's request but he was keeping an eye on the demon in front of him, just in case it got the upper hand in the fight with his father.

Inutaisho had been itching for a fight, ever since his son had stopped him from killing that human that chose to hurt his mate, he had wanted to kill something. The demon that was in front of him flipped that bill, as he got ready to attack.

Inuyasha moved closer to Kagome as he picked her up in his arms and moved her away from the battle zone. This could get ugly if his father decided to show his true form.

He made it to where the swords were discarded on the ground as he picked them up and gave Kagome back her sword, as he set her down on her feet.

He turned to her and said, "Kagome, I want you to stay away from the battle. If my father decides to show his true form then we will run out of room really fast."

Kagome looked at her mate in confusion, 'True form? What does he mean by true form?' She nodded her head in agreement as she stood behind him and watched the battle unfold in front of them.

Inutaisho approached the demon that had dared attack his son as he said in a deadly voice, "How dare you attack my son and his mate. You will pay with your life for doing that."

The demon looked at him and growled, "If I had been a little bit faster then they would've been dead. But it seems that you are a formidably opponent. I will take care of you before I kill the girl and her mate. We will not let you unite both kingdoms together. Humans have enslaved us for all these centuries and now you want to bring us together! How dare you!"

Inutaisho flexed his claws, "and who is this we that you speak of?" he said as he kept his eye on the demon in front of him.

"We are the one's that will stand in your way of uniting the two kingdoms together. We are the demons from the mountains and we don't take likely to living side by side with humans." Growled the demon as he made his way towards him.

Inutaisho knew of the tribe of demons that he was referring to. They lived in the mountains away from everyone. They never wanted contact with either demons or humans but if memories served there were a dying race. There was only a hand full of them left up in the mountains. There will be one less after he took care of the one in front of him; he had made his final mistake.

The demon charged as it drew its claws up ready to attack. Inutaisho stood his ground as he eyed his opponent. When the demon swung his claws down Inutaisho moved quickly out of the way as he brought his hand up and unleashed his binding spell.

Ropes wrapped around the demon as it ensnared him, making him unable to move as he fell to the ground.

Inutaisho landed on the ground as he looked at the pathetic demon and said, "You may be big but you are no match for my speed."

Inutaisho turned and walked away from the demon, he had changed his mind and didn't want to kill him. He had a rule never to kill something that was weaker than him, it wasn't worth his time or effort. He continued to walk towards his son as the demon got a burst of energy and broke his bonds.

Inutaisho turned in time to see the demon break his spell as he quickly moved out of the way of his attack. What he failed to notice was that the attack was aimed at his son and his mate as he yelled, "INUYASHA, LOOK OUT!"

Inuyasha saw the demon rushing towards him and Kagome as he quickly picked her up and jumped out of his way. He landed away from the demon as it hit the ground where they once stood. It got up and moved with lighting speed toward Inuyasha.

Inuyasha readied his sword as he brought out its attack and yelled, "Wind Scar!"

Three bright flashes of light came out of the sword and went towards the demon. But it was fast, the demon moved a lot faster than they thought he could. He got out of the way of the blast as a clawed hand caught Inuyasha and just scooped him up and threw him into the forest.

Kagome's heart skipped a beat as she saw her mate going towards the forest. The beast reached out with his claws and pinned her to the ground as she yelled, "INUYASHA!"

Fear was getting the best of her as the memories from Kouga's attack came back to haunt her. But she wasn't going to let it get the best of her. Her Inuyasha was hurt because of this bastard and she wasn't going to let him get away with it.

Inutaisho eyes grew big as he saw his son being thrown into the forest. The demon had pinned his mate to the ground and he remembered what had happened the last time she was pinned like that by Inuyasha. She had gone into a hysterical fit as she remembered what had happened to her.

Inutaisho stopped his approach as he saw the girl glow pure pink. Her aura was growing as her powers increased. She exploded with such force that she shoved the demon right off her as she slowly sat up. Her eyes were a blood red as she turned towards the demon that had hurt her mate.

Kagome had enough. She was pissed beyond control as she felt a new source of power take over her body. She gently stood back up on her feet as she walked over to the demon and said, "You've hurt my mate now you're going to pay for it."

She held her hand, with the sword in it, away from her body as she transformed it into a bow and arrow. She took aim as the arrow glowed pink and she released it. The arrow traveled fast as it hit the demon in the chest and began to purify him. His howls of pain could be heard as the arrow engulfed his body never to be seen again.

Inutaisho looked at the girl in awe. He had never seen such power come from one person before. She had turned Izayoi sword into a bow, a feat that only she could do.

Inutaisho tried to get closer to Kagome but she turned towards him and bared her fangs. He stopped when he finally got a closer look at her. She was almost a full demon. She had blood red eyes, long fangs and razor sharp claws that she was flexing at him. He didn't know what to do as Kagome continued to growl at him as she slowly turned towards him ready to attack.

oOo

Inuyasha landed on a nice soft bush that had broken his fall from where that stupid demon had thrown him. He remembered that he might've gone after his mate as he raced through the forest trying to make it back to the fight.

When he finally got there he saw his mate transform her sword into a bow and kill the demon that was in front of her. He noticed his father making his way towards his mate as he stopped and Kagome growled at him.

Inuyasha furrowed his eyebrows together deep in thought, 'Why is Kagome turning on my father? Could the demon have placed a spell on my mate?'

Inuyasha started to run towards his father. He wouldn't let Kagome hurt him. 'I'm the only one that can probably snap her out of that spell.'

Inuyasha landed in front of his father and when he saw his mate he took a step back in fear.

The girl standing in front of him didn't look like his mate. She almost looked like a demon.

Inutaisho quickly said, "Inuyasha, your mate has partially turned into a demon. Your blood must be causing this. You need to calm her down unless you want to loss her."

Inuyasha heard his father's words as he turned to his mate and said, "Kagome?"

Kagome stopped her advance and her growling as she sniffed the air, she knew this demon in front of her; something deep inside her was stirring her feeling for him. She looked at him with confusion in her eyes as she stared at him trying to remember.

Inuyasha saw when she stopped her advance as he moved closer to her hoping to get his mate back. Kagome's growls came back as she flexed her claws at him and said, "Fresh meat, I will kill you just as I killed the other demon for hurting my mate."

Inuyasha heard her words as he thought, 'She doesn't recognize me. I have to make her see that it's me or she will get hurt.' He rushed in and grabbed her by the neck as he pinned her to the ground.

Kagome couldn't move as she looked up at the demon that was on top of her. She was getting ready to unleash her attack on him.

Inuyasha leaned down and whispered into her ear, "Koishii, its me I won't hurt you," as he gently licked her chin and then kissed her passionately.

The energy that Kagome was building up was starting to go away as they continued to kiss. He pulled away from her and he said with a purr, "Submit to me, Koishii."

Kagome opened her eyes as she stared into the beautiful golden ones in front of her. She lifted her chin to expose her neck to him, submitting.

Inuyasha smiled as he said, "Kagome?"

When she turned towards him again her eyes were back to normal, her fangs and claws were gone. She looked at him, confused, as she asked, "Why are you on top of me again? I thought that we decided not to do anymore training for today and what happened to the demon your father was fighting?"

Her rush of questions meant that she was back to normal as he slowly got off her and he helped her stand.

Inutaisho walked over to her and said, "Kagome, your powers are great but you must learn to control you temper now. You have Inuyasha's blood in you and it will cause you to turn full youkai."

Kagome was confused she had no idea what he was talking about.

Inuyasha saw her confusion and then started to explain all that happened after he got thrown into the forest by the demon. His father filled in the pieces of her turning almost into a demon as her eyes got wide with shock. She couldn't believe that she could turn part demon if she let her anger get the better of her.

'But wait, that would explain why Inuyasha was on top of me when I woke up. He must've gotten me to calm down the way I made him calm down when he went full youkai.' Kagome sighed as she said, "I'm going back to the castle."

Kagome turned to leave as Inuyasha grabbed her from behind and picked her up bridle style as he ran back to the castle. She was confused as she said, "Inuyasha put me down, I can walk."

"Oh no, I won this fight fair and square and I am going to get my prize from you." He growled into her ear as he continued to run all the way into the castle. He never stopped until he reached his room as he put his mate down on her feet. He closed the door and locked it behind him. He didn't want to get interrupted from what he was going to be doing with his mate.

(LEMON)

He saw his mate starting to go into the bathroom as he scooped her up in his arms and threw her on the bed as he landed on top of her pinning her there.

Kagome was struggling to get him off her as she said, "Inuyasha! What are you doing? I want to go and take a shower. Surely you can wait until I'm clean to have me couldn't you?"

Inuyasha growled as he kissed her, she quit struggling as she enjoyed the kiss he was giving her. He started to lick her neck as he continued to clean off her sweat. He was enjoying her scent as it was driving him crazy.

Kagome moaned at the way he was waking up her body. He seemed to have his own idea's on what he wanted as he continued with his actions. Kagome didn't even notice when he took his claws and shredded her clothes as he took them off.

She was never going to wear that outfit again.

He continued to kiss down her neck as he slowly rubbed his body against hers. His member growing harder with each stroke he took. He was making his way down to her breast as he found one of them and started to suckle on the hard nubs that were waiting for his hungry mouth.

Kagome brought her hands up and started to massage his ears as he brought her closer to him. He was enjoying the attention she was giving his ears. He moaned in pleasure as he continued his gentle licking of her breast. He licked all the way around her breast, giving special attention to the folds under them as Kagome moaned in pure pleasure.

He continued to go down looking for that scent that was driving him crazy. He found what he was looking for. It was hot and very wet as he lapped up her sweet juices.

The feeling he gave her was new as her hips went up in pure ecstasy. He placed a gentle but firm hand on her thigh as he lowered her back to the bed.

Kagome's breathing was becoming faster, she was squirming under his hands but he held her still as he continued to slowly torture her with his tongue. He was gentle and when he continued doing his work with his tongue she screamed his name as it almost sent her over the edge.

She never knew that he could do that with his tongue as he was getting her ready for him. When she finally climaxed he greedily lapped up her juices while her body shook with the final throws of her orgasm. He had never tasted anything like it before. It was driving him crazy as he slowly rose away from her and grabbed her bringing her along with him.

Kagome felt weak, he had left her body weak from his assault. He kissed her passionately as they were kneeling on the bed. He turned her around as he got her on all four and entered her from behind.

It was like something else took over as her body gave into his desires. He continued to go faster and deeper holding her by her hips to keep her in place.

It was a feeling that Inuyasha had never felt before. She had accepted him and she was wet with desire. The feeling he was giving her was bringing to her to her end as she howled his name into the air as she came.

At the same time Inuyasha met his end as he pushed deeper into her and gave a howling sound of victory. He spilled his seed deep within her as they both collapsed on the bed with him on top of her.

They were both breathing hard from their little rump as Inuyasha rolled over and brought his mate with him and held her in his arms. He curled his body around hers as he slowly moved his hips in time with her breathing.

Kagome was breathing hard as she felt her mate moving again. He was still inside her as she thought, 'He can't be ready to go again, not this soon after we both came.'

Her thoughts were answered as he brought down one of his hands and found the nub that was her most sensitive spot and started to rub it. His tongue was gently caressing her neck as his other hand had found her breast and was massaging it gently.

Kagome started to moan with pleasure again.

He had her body moving with his as he brought her to her peak once again as they both released and finally fell still on the bed.

Kagome was breathing hard from what they had just finished. She looked at her mate through half lidded eyes as she said, "I never knew that you could be ready to go so fast after the first time you released."

He smiled at her and said, "I'm a demon and we can go on for a very long time." He gave her neck a lick as he purred at seeing her shiver in his arms.

His statement caught her by surprised as she groaned, 'he meant every word about having me in every position by the time the day was done.' She closed her eyes and finally fell asleep.

She needed her rest if she was going to keep up with him, not that she minded he always made sure that she was pleased first before he was. She would have to return the favor. She would have to show him that he could be pleased before her.

oOo

This is the end to the chapter. As you can see they are still after them and they will stop at nothing to break them up. Can anyone guess why Inuyasha was going crazy over Kagome's scent? I give you a hint; it's a scent that no demon can resist. Giggle

My friend Jinx is back and she has something to say to a person that left a review on this site. So I'm going to let her blow some steam off.

Hi! I'm Jinx. You haven't heard from me in a while but I have something important to talk about today, I'm here to give a lesson on giving reviews. Now this my friends, is not what we are looking for when Cindy and I read a review.

cindygirl, 

The following review has been submitted to: A Slave to No One Chapter: 7 

From: LukeShaehl

First off I just want to say that this may seem mean or harsh, but I am just trying to get my point across so that you can learn something from this. While this story is fairly interesting, there are a lot of things that could use some major improvement:

1. Your grammar is very bad, I'd suggest having someone well versed in the English language beta read for you.

2. You made Inuyasha a complete wimp. The first time he got captured was almost believable as he wasn't expecting the gas and he was in a cage, but the second time you had him fight the slavers he went down like a chump.

He just stood there while they tossed the stink bombs and even if they were the most putrid smelling things on the planet I don't think they would incapacitate him to the point where he wouldn't have the sense to jump away from the fumes. He should have been able to defeat the whole lot of them with ease.

Then there is the incident with the sniper, demons are immune to poison so the cyanide wouldn't have affected him and you had Inuyasha down for the count after getting shot only once in the shoulder. In the show had had been stabbed, slashed and impaled multiple times and still managed to continue the fight.

Also, Miroku captured him way too easily. All he has to do is lift his staff and his target is frozen... Way overpowered.

The key is to make a story enjoyable and believable. Even if the end result is the same, things will be infinitely better if you make the process of getting there realistic. Up to where I have read, in every fight Inuyasha gets in he is almost immediately defeated and has to be saved by Kagome who is absurdly powerful(and I will get to that later). That is of course completely unrealistic, but even so, his being saved by Kagome every other second wouldn't be quite as bad if you had Inuyasha put up a worthy and believable fight and had him actually have a significant impact on the battle.

Instead you have him get beat down or immobilized straight from the beginning of every fight, after which Kagome uses her 'I win button' and saves the day again.

3. Kagome is absurdly powerful. Letâ€™s take a look at this topic:

Kagome is a schoolgirl - Believable  
Kagome is a Miko - Believable considering the world in which the story takes place.  
Kagome can run with lightning fast speed, has inhuman reflexes and strength, can heal wounds, cast barriers, blast people with energy, can pretty much negate the effects of any other magic and has superb accuracy with a bow. - Ridiculous.

What we have here is a God-like being masquerading as a little girl. That basically tears apart and shred of believability this story contained.

A few other points while were on the topic of Kagome, I realize it's your story and you can do whatever you want in it, but you are also using a world and characters which have already been defined. First off, while many Mikos are healers, being a Miko doesn't give you the ability to heal and it definitely does not give them superhuman strength and speed. Miko is Japanese for shrine maiden, not demi-god. Their only real power is purification which only works on youkai or things tainted by youkai.

Again, the key to making an enjoyable story is to make things believable. Perhaps if this story was completely original, meaning your own world and your own characters, I wouldn't even notice a lot of this stuff. But because this is a Inuyasha fan fiction, I read this and expect certain things. For instance, I expect Inuyasha to be stubborn, rude and arrogant and Kagome to be kind, forgiving and sweet.

4. The back-story is confusing and unrealistic. The back-story for this fic was highly confusing and a lot of it didn't make sense until it was further explained later on. This is bad as the back-story is supposed to set the scene in which the events take place. It didn't seem like you thought it out very well because even if humans did invent those collars they all die before they could even get close enough to put them on the necks of the demons. Not to mention a great deal of youkai are more bestial than human and a collar wouldn't even fit around a lot of their necks(if they even have necks).

Also, if the Lord of the Western lands is willing to wage war on the humans and knows that he would win(it seems this way as everyone seems to be making a big point about how all the innocent humans would get killed), why does he need Inuyasha as an excuse? He knows they are all enslaving demons.

5. Mike and Shawn, what kind of Japanese names are those?

6. In chapter 8 you had Kusco throw the collar at Inuyasha and somehow it fell right over his head... Do you realize how hard it would be to do that? Not to mention Inuyasha could simply move to the side or slash it away. He's caught and batted away arrows before, and they travel many, many times faster than a collar being tossed.

7. When Kouga took Kagome, she suddenly becomes weak schoolgirl again. In the beginning she can blast a bull youkai into a wall with ease and throw up nearly unbreakable barriers as well, yet when she fights Kouga, she seems to forget that she all a slew of highly overpowered abilities and lets him have at her.

It wouldn't be so unrealistic if you had portrayed Kagome as the weak schoolgirl from the beginning. But you didn't, you made her the arrow dodging, river jumping, youkai blasting schoolgirl and for some reason all this is disappears when she gets taken by Kouga.

8. Kagome begins to think she is falling in love with Inuyasha after what? The first day he is with her. Then after they have known each other for a grand total of 2 or 3 days they confess their undying love for each other and opt to get married... Things just don't happen like that, it's completely unrealistic and that makes it hard to get into your story. You can't really get into a story when every other second you're thinking "Hah, yeah right.".

Anyway, that's all the criticism I have for the amount of the story I have read so far. Just to make something clear, I am not trying to flame you or be mean. What I am trying to do is point out to you ways in which you can better you writing in the future.

I hope that you can learn something from everything I have pointed out and that it will be of some help to you, because you work is very interesting, it seems to be a little too amateurishly written. With a little help you could make some truly great stories.

Hi! Jinx again, now what the hell kind of review is this?

OK I know reviews are meant to be kind of like this, but this is ridiculous…..

In my opinion, weather you care or not, a review for a story that I think the grammar is not so good on I would write something like this.

"Hey I love your story, it's a wonderful plot the characters are amazing. But to be honest and don't take this the wrong way your grammar needs some work. But other then that I love your story keep it up and I look forward I reading more thanks.

jinx"

OK that's a review people, that's all I wanted to say, so thank you for your time runs back into Bed

jinx

As you can see my friend Jinx is back and she is reading the reviews left by all of you. I can take constructive criticism on my writing abilities. I learn from all of you and I try to improve my writing skills. I have gotten plenty of advices from people and they were said in the nicest of ways. But when I receive something like this it makes me want to stop posting the story on the site.

Yes I do write like an amateur because I am one. If I were a professional writer I wouldn't be posting my story on this site for everyone to read for free. I would be getting paid for my efforts.

I am a computer programmer. I write programs for everyone out there to make your life easier to use a pc. I think logically all-day and go to sleep running algorithms in my mind to solve complex compiling errors. So this is a distraction from my everyday life.

The only reason I don't stop posting on this site is because of everyone else that want to read this story. For all of you I will continue to post. I put stuff like this aside and when this reviewer grows up and faces the real world he would know what I mean.

Kagome-Reincarnation no I don't take your review the wrong way. Maybe I didn't explain myself about the mating ritual. I thought that by Inuyasha's father telling her that Inuyasha had performed two of the three things needed in the mating ritual was enough but now that you mention it I could have done better. I will try to go back and redo that part. Thanks.

Kagome and Inuyasha must travel back to Kagome's kingdom for something very important. They meet trouble along the way as they try to fight the enemy that is after them. What will happen to them? Well you have to wait to find out.

Remember to review and tell me what you think. I will post soon again.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne


	16. Chapter 16

This chapter contains a Lemon. If you are not 18 years of age or older or you do not like this sort of stuff then you need to leave. You have been warned of the adult nature of this chapter. I will warn you when the lemon is coming so you can skip over that part if you wish.

Chapter 16 (Lemon)

The news was traveling throughout the kingdom that Princess Kagome had chosen a demon as her husband. Everyone in the kingdom was happy about the upcoming wedding, except the people who owned the processing facility.

They were all gathered at a large table to talk about their fate. If Princess Kagome went through with her marriage then they would all be ruined. They would be forced to release all of the demons that were in their facilities and the slavery that they had all fought to keep would be taken away from them.

Naraku was the host for this meeting as they were trying to come up with a plan to effectively stop the impending marriage.

"Gentlemen please, may I have your attention!" He yelled trying to calm down all of the proprietors from the neighboring processing facilities.

One of the men spoke up, "This is all your fault Naraku! It was you who sold her that demon in the first place. What are you going to do about it?"

Naraku was having a hard time trying to come up with a plan with all of his business partners looking at him for answers. Yes, it was his fault that the girl had brought the demon from him but he didn't know who she was. He never made the connection with her name and the kings before.

He held up his hands and said, "Yes, I know it was my fault that she brought that damn hanyou from me. But how was I supposed to know that she was Princess Kagome. I also had no idea that the hanyou was the prince of the Western Lands. I receive hundreds of demons here everyday to be sold. I never question the slavers on where they get them. As long as I'm supplied with fresh demons to keep my business going I don't care."

The room erupted in an angry protest to his statement. They were out for blood and they were going to get it if their businesses were ruined.

Naraku took a deep breath as he said, "We have to come up with a plan to capture them. We will never be able to subdue the hanyou with a necklace. He has already shown us that he can break the spells that effectively control all the other demons.

We are going to have to capture the girl in order to subdue him. He will not attack if we have his mate. Once we have them both, then we can ask for anything for their release.

When we get what we want, then we can kill them and never have to worry about the merging of the two kingdoms. We will be free to continue with our business and those demons and King Higurashi won't be able to do a damn thing about it."

Everyone liked the idea as they left the details of the kidnapping to him. Since he had started this mess then he can effectively fix it.

"Fine, since you started this mess then you can clean it up. We will give you what men we can spare in order for you to set your plans in motion. But if you fail in this task, if the demons or King Higurashi don't kill you, then we will." Said the balled headed man that was the head of one of the biggest processing facilities in the area. He had a lot at stake if they lost to the demons.

Naraku swallowed hard as he heard their threats. They all stood to leave the conference room as they left a very pale looking Naraku in their wake.

Kusco, who had been standing off to the side during the exchange, slowly walked over to her boss.

Naraku saw her coming closer to him as he groaned. He didn't want to hear what she was going to say.

"I told you that you should've never of sold him to the girl. If you had left him to me then none of this would've happened." She said crossing her arms across her chest as she stared at him through half lidded eyes.

"I don't care! We had gotten a good price for him and I would do it again if I had to. You were getting too many damn sex toys and if you continued I would never be able to sell any more demons because of you." Naraku had gotten his second wind as a new thought reached his mind.

"Who's to say that if I hadn't sold him that he would've submitted to you? You had him for over a month and you weren't able to break him. It has never taken you that long to break a demon before." He said as he saw Kusco eyes burning with rage.

"How dare you! I have always been able to break any demon. It's not my fault that he was one of the strongest hanyou's that I have ever met. He was going to take time to break and the fact remains that you sold him before I was able to do it!" Kusco was turning red from rage, as she was getting ready to attack her boss.

Naraku looked at her and then smirked as he said, "The point is you didn't break him and if we've kept him here then I guess that he would have died from you trying to break him. If that happened, his father would've waged war on this kingdom and we would be the slaves right now and not them."

They both looked at each other as their tempers started to calm down then Naraku said, "It doesn't matter who's fault it was, now we have to come up with a plan to get them here to the processing facility and see if we can subdue the hanyou with his mate."

Kusco temper started to go down as she said, "Well, we can't touch them as long as they are in the Western Lands. We will have to wait until they come back here in order to get them. We can send a spy over to the girl's house and wait for their return. Once they're here then we should be able to capture them."

Naraku liked her idea as he thought about her plan then he added, "That would be fine. It would've been nice if we had the wolf demons to help us but ever since their encounter with our hanyou friend they all seem to be dead.

We have to think of a way to get the girl and the hanyou. It's not going to be easy since they will be well protected, but once we do have them then you can have your fun with the hanyou and anyone else that we happen to capture along with them."

Kusco smiled at his remark, 'finally I get to have the hanyou all to myself and he will never be allowed to leave this facility ever again.'

They sent a spy to keep watch over Kagome's house until they returned. They were positive that they would go back to the house because they knew that the girl hated to be in the city. She preferred the quite surrounding of the forest, which would be her down fall.

oOo

Sango was sitting on a hill overlooking a beautiful valley. She was enjoying the morning sun as it rose gently over the horizon.

She was happy, for the first time in her life since her parents had died, she was actually happy. She had been here for over a week and she had finally mated with Miroku. She never thought that it would be that wonderful as he gently held her in his arms and finally made her his mate.

She felt an arm snaking itself around her waist as she looked up into the eyes of her mate. They were a deep violet in color as it brought out his handsome features. The only way she could tell that he was a demon was the fact that his eyes were violet and that he had pointed ears on the side of his head.

She smiled at her mate as Miroku said, "Sango my sweet, what are you thinking about?"

"I was thinking about how happy I have been since I came here. I never thought that I would be this happy ever again. When my parents died I thought that I would lose my mind in the sorrow that I felt for them. Then you came along and changed all that for me.

You have shown me that I shouldn't be quick to judge people for who they are. I should at least give everyone a chance before I form an opinion." She finished speaking as she was laying her head on his shoulder seeking the comfort from his warmth.

Miroku hugged his new mate as he brought her closer to him.

When they had first arrived here at Inutaisho castle he had taken Sango and had given her a tour of the castle and its grounds. She seemed to have taken a liking to this place because she said it made her feel happy.

They had stayed together for a couple of days before he made her his mate. He wanted to be sure that she was comfortable with her decision before he would claim her.

It had been wonderful that first time as he held her naked form in his arms and found out that he was her first. He knew that being her first made it all the more memorable, as she will never have another. She was his and he would fight to protect her and would kill the first person that would lay their hands on her.

They continued to sit on the hill enjoying the view when Sango looked up and said, "Miroku, I'm going to have to go back for a few days. Graduation will be in five days and I would like to attend the ceremony. I have worked hard for my degree and I will be the first in my family to receive one so it's important to me."

Miroku understood her request as a thought came into his mind. "Is Kagome going to the graduation ceremony with you?"

Sango knitted her eyebrows together as she said, "You know Miroku, I haven't seen Kagome since I've been here."

'Oh no, I haven't seen Inuyasha since we've gotten back. If he has her locked in his room then he is never going to let her go to the ceremony. We have to go and try to find his father and see if we can talk some sense into him.' Miroku was so deep in thought that he didn't hear his mate who was speaking to him.

"Miroku!" Sango had to finally smack Miroku's chest to get his attention.

Miroku looked at her like she was crazy as he said, "Sango? Why did you hit me? That hurt!"

Sango shook her head as she explained, "It was the only way that I could get your attention. You seem to go off in your own little world and leave me behind. I hate it when you do that."

He smiled as he pulled her closer and said, "I'm sorry, but I was thinking that I haven't seen Inuyasha since we have been here either. If he has Kagome locked in his room then we may never get her out of there to attend the ceremony. I know that she wants her degree as badly as you do. We have to go and find his father and tell him what is going on so he could help us."

Sango nodded her agreement as they both stood and went in search of Inuyasha's father.

oOo

Inutaisho was sitting in his office thinking. He was swinging his chair back and forth as he thought about what the demon had said to him once he had the chance to talk to him.

He now knew that the slavers were after his son and mate. They were upset at union between the two kingdoms. They would stop at nothing to get to them and this upset him.

He would have to step up his security of the castle in order to protect his youngest son. As long as they stayed here in the castle he could protect them but once they left to go back to the girls home then it would be next to impossible for him to protect them all the time.

He was trying to think of a way to protect them when he heard a small knock on his door as he said, "Enter."

Miroku and Sango entered his office as Miroku stepped forward and said, "Excuse me my lord but we would like to have a word with you."

Inutaisho looked at Miroku and then at Sango as he motioned for them to sit down. They did and then Miroku began to tell him about the ceremony.

"Well, I see your concern. I haven't seen Inuyasha or Kagome for the last three days, not since that demon came out of the forest and attacked them." Said Inutaisho, as he was deep in thought.

"Wait, did you just say that a demon came out of the forest and attacked Kagome and Inuyasha?" asked Miroku, clearly he had heard wrong.

"Yes, they were attacked when they were at the training field practicing. Kagome turned Izayoi sword into a bow and arrow and killed it for attacking Inuyasha." He said off handed like it was an everyday occurrence.

Miroku shook his head, "Were they hurt? Is that why you haven't seen them in three days?"

Inutaisho laughed, as he said, "No, that's not the reason I haven't seen them in three days. They're fine. Inuyasha said something about getting his prize for winning the training match with Kagome and they have been locked in his room for the last three days.

I've heard that he has come out of his room long enough to go and get something to eat and bring something back to Kagome before locking the door again. I'm sure they're fine."

Miroku breathed a sigh of relief at hearing the news that they didn't get hurt from the attack. Then he got a big smile on his face as he thought about the prize he was getting from Kagome. Something hard hit him in the back of his head and he turned to look at his mate.

Sango had been watching her mate when she saw the big smile on his face at the mention of a prize from Kagome. She had seen that look before so she decided to bring him back to reality as she smacked him on the back of his head. When he turned towards her she gave him a death glare telling him to quit it.

Miroku swallowed hard at the look his mate was giving him as he turned his attention back towards Inutaisho. "When do you think Inuyasha will come out of his room?" he asked in a very subdued voice.

Inutaisho raised an eyebrow at him as he smiled and said, "He should be out sometime today. Kagome scent has changed back so he should be back to normal."

Miroku caught on to what Inutaisho was saying and he smiled.

Sango on the other hand was totally confused as she asked, "What does Kagome scent have to do with why they're locked in his room?"

Both males laughed at her as Miroku tried to explain, "Sango my sweet, demons can tell when their mates go into heat. It drives us wild until it's over. It is a constant mating until the females scent changes back to normal."

Sango turned bright red from the information she was given. She never knew that demons could tell when the females were at their most fertile stage to have young and if this was the case then Kagome will be having their first child in about nine months unless she has taken some precautions. She let the subject drop as she continued to listen to the conversation the men were having.

"Once Inuyasha and Kagome come out of their room then I will speak to them. They're going to have to take some guards with them because I'm afraid that the slavers are still after them.

The demon that had broken into this castle a few days ago said that they would stop at nothing to get them. I want them protected the whole time. I know that Inuyasha is going to refuse the guards so I want you to hand pick our best warriors. Have them follow Inuyasha without him knowing about it, in this way we should be able to protect them." Inutaisho had a serious look on his face as he looked at Miroku.

Miroku understood the importance of picking the warriors correctly. They would have to travel behind the hanyou, keep watch, and not let them know that they were being followed. This was going to be difficult when a thought came into his mind and he voiced it.

"Excuse me my lord, but we are going to have a problem trying to keep them hidden from Kagome. She is able to break all of the spells that I can cast. Do you know of a more powerful spiritual leader that can cast a spell that could fool Kagome for a while and not let her sense our men." Miroku finished with a raised eyebrow at his lord.

Inutaisho had to think then he said, "I think that with your spell and my powers added to it we can keep Kagome from sensing them. We will have to experiment to see if it would work. I want you to go and get Shawn we will use him as a guinea pig."

Miroku rose to his feet and bowed as he grabbed Sango by her arm and led her out of the office with him.

When they were outside of his office with the door closed he spoke to her. "Sango, I have to go and get Shawn, we are going to see if we can hide our men from Kagome. If we can do this and she can't detect them then we will have a way of protecting them when they travel back to your kingdom.

Unless we can protect them I know that Lord Inutaisho will not let them leave the safety of his kingdom no matter how important the ceremony is to the girl."

Sango nodded her head in understanding. She knew that all Inutaisho wanted to do was protect Kagome and Inuyasha from any harm. She also knew that they were both stubborn when it came to what was best for Kagome.

She turned and said over her shoulder as she was walking away, "Miroku, I am going back to the hill. If you need me that's were I'll be for the remainder of the day."

Miroku smiled as he saw his mate walking away from him. He saw her hips sway from side to side as if they were taunting him. He shook his head as he focused on what he had to do. He had to find Shawn first, and then cast the spell to see if Kagome will notice that he was around.

oOo (Lemon)

Kagome started to stir as she tired to move her tired body. She was being pinned to the bed because her mate was almost lying right on top of her as they slept.

Inuyasha's head was on her shoulder using it as a pillow. His leg was draped over hers to keep her legs from moving. His arm was casually placed around her chest grabbing onto a breast as he slept.

She sighed it was going to be a battle to get him off her so she could go into the bathroom to get cleaned up. It started like this yesterday when she tried to get up from the bed and go to the bathroom.

Inuyasha had effectively pinned her to the bed and they had not left for the rest of the day. The funny thing about it was that she wanted him to be forceful. She wanted him to be domineering. She wanted more than anything for him to take her.

Their joining had been wild but not like the few of days. Her body was reacting to his, as she would tease him to get him started. When he finally took her it was one of the most pleasurable feelings she had ever felt. The deeper he went the more she was aroused by what he was doing.

She couldn't help it, it felt like something was awaken deep inside her that wanted her mate but today for some reason that feeling was gone and all she wanted to do was get out of the bed that she had been stuck in for the past three days.

She moved and then got a growl from the hanyou on her back as he held her closer to him. She moved again and she felt him move off her when he rolled over on his other side, as she was released from his grasp. She sighed as she got up and went into the bathroom to get cleaned up.

Inuyasha had rolled over and expected his mate to be there. When he hit just the bare mattress his eyes quickly shot open as he sat up in bed looking for her.

He heard the water going and got an evil gleam in his eyes as he made his way into the bathroom to find Kagome in the shower.

He stripped his clothes as he silently made his way in with her so they could bathe together. Her head was under the water so she couldn't hear him approaching.

When he was standing right behind her he snaked an arm around her thin waist and pulled her towards him as he started to kiss her neck.

Kagome jumped at the feeling that someone was in the shower with her. She then sensed it was Inuyasha and just leaned back and enjoyed his attention. His head moved down towards her shoulder as his tongue was gently licking her neck. He was enjoying her reaction to him as he started to nip and suck on her neck. His hands were moving up and down the front of her body as he found her breast and held one in each hand. He continued to massage them as she moaned in pleasure.

Kagome had an evil thought in her mind. She was going to get him back for everything he had done to her in the past three days. She was going to show him that he could be pleasured before he gave her any pleasure.

She turned in his arms as she faced him and then she kissed him with such force that she backed him into the wall. Her hands were roaming all over his body as he started to shiver and moan from her touch.

She caressed his chest gently with her hands. Something that she had been wanting to do but he never let her do before. His muscles were firm under her fingers tips as they traced the outline of every ripple he had in his chest. She continued to move her hands down until she found what she was looking for and she gently took it into her hand as she started to massage it.

She moved her hand up and down his shaft never once breaking from the kiss that they were sharing, as she heard her mate whimper from her touch.

She continued to massage his manhood as she slowly released his lips and started to trail hot kisses down his neck. She settled on the juncture of his neck and shoulder, as she let her tongue run over his sensitive skin were her mating mark was located. She began to slowly nip at his neck as she heard her mate moan with pleasure.

She made it to his chest as she found one of his hardened nipples and gave it the same attention that he had given hers. Her free hand gently twitched the other one as it sent waves of pleasure through his body, as she was gently stroking him.

Inuyasha moaned as his breathing was starting to get faster, she moved to the other nipple and gave it the attention it needed as she switched hands and was now twitching the other nipple the way she did the first.

When she was done she continued to lick and kiss her way down to his stomach. She gave special attention to each ripple she found as her mate was reacting to her touch. His breath would hitch and he would give a moan every time he felt her tongue hit a sensitive spot on his body.

He was shivering with want as she continued to torture him. Every time he would move to get her, her hand would squeeze his shaft and stroke it causing him to fall back against the wall. He had his eyes closed as his breathing became labored and he was going weak in the knees.

You could hear his breath hitched as he started to moan even louder. Kagome pressed her tongue on the tip of his shaft as she moved it all around getting it wet. His moans became louder as she continued her assault.

Inuyasha moaned at the pure pleasure she was giving him. He never thought that she could be capable of doing this to him. She was slowly torturing him as he was trying to control his body, but he was losing.

Kagome used her hands to bring him to his peak as he tried to get her to stop but it was too late. He released as he cried out her name in pure ecstasy.

He was barely standing up and breathing hard when she got up on her feet again. She smiled an evil smile that told him that she had won that battle.

Inuyasha, not one to be out done, grabbed her as he shoved her into a corner of the shower stall and had one of her legs around his hip as he slowly enter her.

Kagome couldn't believe that he still had this much energy after what she had done to him. He still had the drive to fore fill her as he rocked her into the wall making her cry out in pure ecstasy.

Inuyasha moved his hips in time with her breathing as he picked up her other leg and brought it around his hip. He grabbed her lower back with one hand as he brought her closer to him.

Kagome moved with the swing of his hips, as he continued to take her by the wall of the shower. Her breathing was erotic as he continued his actions. He lowered his lips to her neck as he gently nipped at her throat. His other hand found her breast as it was gently massaging it.

He continued to pump going faster as the heat was building up inside both of them. When they finally release they were so weak that they fell to the floor in a heap as the water continued to flow over them.

They kissed as they held each other and just enjoyed the moment, when Inuyasha finally released her he said; "I can't believe you did that to me. Where in the hell did you ever learn how to do that?"

Kagome smiled as she said, "I've had a good teacher," as she leaned in and kissed him again bringing him closer to her in an embrace.

When they finally broke apart they helped each other bathe. Inuyasha was just enjoying rubbing his hands all over her body as Kagome was having the same enjoyment with his.

They finally made it out of the bathroom a couple of hours later as they got dressed and went to get something to eat.

They entered the kitchen to find Kaede standing over the stove as she was serving them their breakfast and putting it on the table. They gave her their thanks as they both sat down to eat. They were both hungry after what they had done in the shower.

When they were done Kagome was about to help Kaede with the dishes when she shooed them out of her kitchen. They went outside to enjoy the morning sunlight as they went into the forest for a walk.

oOo (End of Lemon)

Inutaisho and Miroku were in his office as they were perfecting the spell that would allow his men to follow the couple without Kagome knowing about it.

Inutaisho picked his head up as he sniffed the air; he had caught a familiar scent. He went over to his window and looked out side. He spotted his son and mate heading towards the forest, this would be the perfect opportunity to test the spell to see if Kagome could detect his guards.

They called Shawn over as they placed the spell on him. They told him to go into the forest to see if Kagome could detect him. He bowed as he left the office and headed for the woods.

Inutaisho and Miroku followed closely behind, they wanted to watch from a distance to see if Kagome could detect Shawn. They didn't want to get too close because they knew the girl would detect their presence.

Shawn made his way into the forest looking for Inuyasha and Kagome. He picked up on their scents and followed, he made sure to stay down wind and away from Inuyasha's nose.

He had made it to within 30 feet of where they were and noticed that Kagome hadn't picked up on him being there. He continued to follow them to see if she would be able to detect him but she never did.

Inutaisho and Miroku saw this and they were happy. Their spell worked to keep Kagome from detecting that they were being followed. So they decided to move into the forest and talk to them about the impending ceremony for the girls.

oOo

Kagome sensed that someone was approaching them as she stopped Inuyasha by placing a hand on his arm. She closed her eyes and opened her senses to see who was coming towards them. She felt two demons coming towards them from the front and then she sensed something that was out of place in the forest behind them.

She didn't know how this presence was out of place so she decided to keep it to herself. She opened her eyes and said, "Inuyasha, your father and Miroku are coming this way."

They started to walk again and sure enough Inutaisho and Miroku were heading towards them, as Inuyasha greeted his father, "Father, what are you guys doing out here in the forest?"

Inutaisho smiled as he greeted his son and mate and said, "I was looking for you. It has been brought to my attention that there is a ceremony that is of great importance to your mate.

Sango has requested to leave so she could attend this ceremony and I wanted to know if your mate wanted to do the same."

Kagome's eyes grew big, 'Shit! I almost forgot that the graduation ceremony is in a few days and I have to be there for it.' She smiled and said, "Thank you for reminding me. I have to go to this ceremony so I could receive my doctor's degree. I have worked hard for that degree and I'm not about to miss the ceremony."

Inuyasha couldn't believe what he was hearing she wanted to go back her kingdom so she could attend a stupid ceremony for a piece of paper that would never matter to him.

He huffed as he crossed his arms across his chest and he said in an arrogant voice, "Who cares about a stupid piece of paper anyway. You still passed and you're a doctor they can send you the degree later. I don't want to travel back there because I know that they will be looking for us again. I don't want to take the chance of you getting hurt."

Kagome couldn't believe what her mate had just said to her she had worked long and hard for that stupid piece of paper and she was going to go back and be in the ceremony whether he liked it or not.

"Inuyasha, that stupid piece of paper is important to me. If I'm ever caught treating anyone for their injuries, which includes you, then I'll be thrown into one of those small cells that I first found you in and never be let back out. I'm going back for the ceremony whether you like it or not." Kagome eyes started to turn a darker blue as hints of red was starting to show through her anger.

Inuyasha lowered his ears to his head as he sighed and said, "O.K. you win, we will go back for this ceremony of yours. Then I want to come back here to live. I don't want our pups to grow up in a place like that, at least not until everything calms down and we can all live in peace, you know that this will take some time."

Kagome didn't know what Inuyasha meant by pups so she raised her eyebrow and asked, "Pups?"

Inuyasha looked at the confusion on her face as Miroku spoke up from behind him and said, "Pups are what we demons call our young."

Kagome nodded her head in understanding as she turned to leave. Inuyasha grabbed her arm and said, "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to get ready to leave. I know that it will take a while to make it back to my house and I want to travel in something a little more comfortable for the woods. So the sooner we leave, the sooner we can come back here." She turned and headed towards the castle.

Inuyasha looked on as she walked away, he then turned to his father and Miroku and asked, "Why did you guys have to remind her of this stupid ceremony."

Inutaisho looked at his son and said, "Because she has every right to be there. She has worked hard for what she has accomplished and you have no right to keep it from her. You should be proud of her accomplishments and what she has done."

Inuyasha lowered his ears, his father did have a point, as he turned and chased after his mate to apologize to her. Ever since she had come into his life he had been apologizing for everything he did, suddenly his life seemed really confusing to him.

Miroku and Inutaisho watched the retreating forms of Kagome and Inuyasha, they were heading back towards the castle as Shawn emerged from the forest and went towards them.

Shawn said, "The girl detected your presence but she didn't detect mine. So I think that our plan will work."

They all nodded their heads in agreement as they too started to head towards the castle to see if his son would accept an escort. If he didn't then he would have to send them in secret to keep him and his mate safe.

oOo

Inuyasha and Kagome were walking toward Inutaisho office to say their goodbyes. Inuyasha knocked on his father's door and waited until he heard, "Come in."

Inutaisho turned toward his son and mate as Inuyasha came forward and said, "Father, we are leaving now. We should be back here within the week."

Inuyasha was about to turn and leave when his father said, "Inuyasha wait, would you consider taking some guards to protect you while you're there? I know that the slavers are still after you and now I have a feeling that they are after your mate as well, in order to subdue you."

Inuyasha stopped and thought for a few minutes as he looked at his mate. 'What should I do? I know that I can protect her but I can't be watching her every minute. If I allow fathers guards to accompany us then they will help me protect her.'

He came to a decision as he said, "Alright I will allow some of your guards to come with us but I want no more than five. I know you, you would send the whole army with me."

Inutaisho was surprised that his son had even accepted five of his personnel guards to go with him. He agreed to his terms as he summoned five of the ten guards that he was going to send.

Inutaisho spoke again before they left, "Inuyasha, I want you to take your sword with you. It will keep your demon blood in check and prevent you from going full youkai in case Kagome is no where near you."

Inuyasha nodded his head in understanding as he took his sword from his father and put it in his waistband.

Inutaisho then turned towards Kagome and said, "Kagome, I want you to accept this gift. It belonged to Inuyasha's mother when she was alive. I'm sure that she would like you to have it. I have added a spell that will keep your demon blood in check so you won't turn full youkai."

Kagome looked into Inutaisho eyes as she bowed and said, "Thank you, I will treasure it always."

Inutaisho smiled as Kagome accepted the sword then he said, "Kagome, you must keep the sword with you at all times and so must Inuyasha, I know that you are powerful enough to place a concealment spell on them to prevent the humans from seeing them."

Kagome smiled as she nodded her head in understanding about the swords. They heard a gentle knock on the door as Inuyasha's father said, "Enter."

Miroku came into Inutaisho office and looked around. When he found his friend he went over to him and asked, "Hey, can Sango and I travel back with you guys? At least we can keep each other company on the way back to the girls house."

Inuyasha nodded his head as he agreed. The girls were already on their way out the door just talking a mile a minute about everything that had happened to them since they had been there for a week and had not seen each other.

Inuyasha turned to Miroku and said, "We better catch up to them or they'll leave us behind."

Miroku nodded his agreement as they chased after their mates and caught up with them and the guards that were going with them.

Inuyasha put Kagome on his back as Miroku did the same with Sango and they took off heading back towards Kagome's home.

Inutaisho looked at Shawn who was standing next to him and said, "I want the rest of you to follow them. Make sure they stay safe. If anything goes wrong send word back and we will start planning an all out assault to get them back."

Shawn bowed deeply to his lord as he turned and took the remaining guards and started after Inuyasha and his mate. They will do everything within their power to protect them.

Inutaisho looked on as he saw the last of his men leave to protect his son. He had a bad feeling about this but he knew that he had to let go and let his son handle things on his own.

He sighed as he walked back into his castle. It felt empty without his son there to drive him crazy.

oOo

I have received numerous emails in regards to Luke Shaehl. A lot of you think that he had some valid points in his review. I also received and email from one of the reviewers that summed up everything I was thinking when I wrote those chapters. He did such a beautiful job at it that I am posting his response to Shaehl.

So here it is.

This goes out to Luke Shaehl,

I have stood up of my own will, and respect for Cindy, against you. You may be critical in all of this, but you have no right to criticize her writing style or her way of seeing the characters in her story. But you have been brought to my attention to be an incredibly cruel and uncaring person towards one author's feelings. Since you seem to have so many problems with this story, and I have a great understanding on Cindy's viewpoint (which you don't seem to have), I will clear these misconceptions and problems up.

1- Hey, everyone can't always be perfect in the usage and expression in their grammar. Heck, not even I am. I very, highly doubt that you can use "expert" grammar.

2- Now, I don't know about you, but if you were to actually examine Inuyasha's character, you'd realize that he is a nice guy, that having been almost killed by demons and humans on a regular basis, was forced to become stronger to protect himself from getting killed. In this story, however, he was protected by his father and father's name, which clearly said that if you even thought of harming his son, he'd kill you. So growing up there didn't mean that he had to defend himself like in the show, which is also another point. This whole story is set in an alternate universe, meaning, there is little, if nothing at all, the same.

Oh, and your assumptions that demons are immune to poison is incorrect. If you remember correctly from episodes 46: Juromaru and Kageromaru and 47: Onigumo's Heart Still Beats Within Naraku, while Inuyasha and Koga are fighting Kageromaru, they are having a problem keeping track of Kageromaru. Sango uses a POISON that she smears Miroku's staff's tip with the POISON and then it kept Kageromaru out of the ground so he could not sneak attack them. Another fine example that demons are affected by poison is when Sesshomaru gutted Inuyasha and slashed his face with his poison claws. His wounds refused to heal and they would constantly reopen. So now where is your fact?

3- I could believe that Kagome was that powerful. With proper training and a good master she could become that powerful. And since when can't Mikos or Priests cure sickness or ailments? Besides, this story is fantastical as in fantasy. Not real. Fake. All the things in this story are fake. Just because you go by what can actually happen, first actually look at what you're reading. it isn't real, so anything can happen. You are just too blind to see that.

4- If you can't see the back-story, you have no imagination. I picture everything as in what I have read and what I know. It is easy if you are as true enthusiast.

Now you addressed that the humans would be killed by a demon before the subduing necklace was placed over his head. Now, I agree that if there was ONE person taking on a youkai, they wouldn't have much of a chance. But if a single youkai were to be attacked by a group of humans, it could be taken down. There are more ways than one to incapacitate a youkai. They all have heightened senses making them that much more susceptible to loud sounds and nauseating smells. Or even bright lights. Exploiting the weaknesses with the element of surprise can be the downfall of a demon.

The necklaces are also of varying size, so even bestial youkai could be caught, although I do believe that they use more amorphous or human-like youkai as slaves.

And Inuyasha's dad never waged a war on the humans because the humans had demons on their sides too making them able to keep up against the demons. And Inutaisho didn't want to wage war because then it could have possibly destroyed the demons out. In no chapter did it say that Inutaisho knew for sure that he could defeat the humans. You forget that humans have things known as guns, and no matter how strong a youkai is, it could be killed with a hail of bullets.

5- Maybe they were named after two of her friends at school, or maybe she just didn't want to use Japanese names. You know, just because she is writing about an anime doesn't mean that she has to use names of the Japanese no one cares anyway. It's her story, her way.

6- I chapter 8 he was preoccupied. He was fighting wolves and he was trying to find his mate. No one could get in his way. But when Kusco snuck up on him he didn't notice until it was too late. So any questions?

7- Kagome becomes frightened. She doesn't know what happened to her until it happened. She gets hysterical and was waiting for Inuyasha to save her. She was used to his soothing presence he brought with him. She looked to him for help when she needed it. And when he wasn't around, she basically lost hope and forgot about her Miko powers.

8- Cindy is a hopeless romantic type. She cries at weddings and spends her time watching sappy movies. She can't help it if she loves to see Inuyasha and Kagome truly happy and lovey. She is just like that. She likes to have sappy, lovey-dovey, happy-happy-joy-joy scenes in her stories, and personally I don't mind.

InuyashaMaster

InuyashaMaster summed it all up correctly in this email to me. He does have me down pat when he says that I like lovey dovey scenes with Inuyasha and Kagome.

I hope that this clears up any misconceptions in my story. I will continue to post this story until the end because I believe in it. I will try to improve my writing and make those grammatical errors go away but it is hard and very confusing to me so you're going to have to be patient until I learn.

This is the end to another chapter. Inuyasha and Kagome are going back to her home so she could be in the graduation ceremony. But trouble is coming for our happy couple. Will their guards be able to protect them? Or will Naraku have something special planned for them?

You have to wait for the next chapter to find out.

Remember to leave me a review and tell me what you think.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

They traveled back towards Kagome's home in a group. They could've traveled faster if they had separated but Inuyasha chose to keep everyone in a group, that way there was strength in numbers if they were attacked.

Kagome had protested loudly that she wanted to run back under her own power to get some exercise. She didn't want to depend on him for protection. She had always taken care of herself in the past and wanted to continue to do so.

Inuyasha quickly nixed that idea by saying that they were traveling by the tree tops high above the ground to keep from getting attacked.

When Kagome had seen the dizzying heights that they were jumping and seemly flying through the air she shivered and buried her face in his back. She held on tight and just settled for the ride back home.

Inuyasha smiled inwardly as he felt his mate getting closer to him and took comfort in her body heat. They could've traveled on the ground, but then he wouldn't have her this close to him, if he did.

They traveled for a good portion of the day and came upon a clearing within the forbidden lands. They were close to the protected lands, where Kagome lived, so they decided to stop and rest before they continued on.

Inuyasha lowered himself down as he let Kagome get off his back.

Kagome stood as she stretched her back and looked around the area. They were alone for the moment, because she didn't detect any demons or humans in the area.

The guards that were with them spread out as two of them took off into the forest to hunt for their lunch. They came back while later with two deer's as they set about to make camp and cook their meal.

Kagome watched with interest as she saw her escorts clean the deer and then put the meat on the fire as they started to cook it. She got up and walked around in the forest looking for some herbs, when she found what she was looking for she went over to the fire and put some of the herbs on the meat as it was cooking.

The smell of the food changed immediately after she had put the herbs on it and it smelled wonderful. She smiled as she turned and went to sit down by a tree. She leaned her back against the trees trunk and rested from the days travel.

Inuyasha was curious about what she had put on the meat so he went over to talk to his mate, "Kagome, what did you put on the meat that made it smell so good?"

Kagome opened her eyes and said, "I found some cilantro, parsley, and mint. When you mix them all together they give the food a whole new flavor."

Inuyasha smiled as he shook his head and headed back towards the fire to finish cooking the meat. When it was done they all sat down and had lunch. They all noticed the wonderful taste that the meat had. They still couldn't believe that a couple of herbs would change the taste of the food that much.

After lunch they all rested for a while before taking off towards Kagome's home.

Kagome was resting her head on Inuyasha's shoulder. He had threatened to put her to sleep if she didn't get some rest. But Kagome was too excited to sleep, she wanted to get home so she could prepare for the graduation ceremony, it meant everything to her.

So she faked being asleep to pacify her mate as he fell asleep next to her.

Kagome was keeping her senses open for any approaching threat. She didn't want to get caught by surprise. Then she sensed something in the forest. There were demons and humans nearby.

She slowly opened her eyes as she looked around at her companions. They were all asleep as she opened her eyes the rest of the way.

She lifted her head gently off her mates shoulder, being careful not to wake him. 'No sense in waking him if there is no real danger nearby.' She thought as she slowly moved away from him.

She wanted to go and investigate who the humans were and what they were doing in the forbidden lands.

She sat up and tried to determine where the humans were located. Inuyasha shifted in his sleep but he never woke up. She silently stood and left the group to seek out what she had sensed in the forest.

She walked deeper into the forest as she continued to head towards the humans that she sensed. As she approached she heard them talking and thought it best to change into the priestess disguise incase she had to fight and use her miko powers.

She still didn't want anyone to know that she was the priestess who protected this land.

She moved closer so she could hear what was going on in the clearing up ahead, she peeked her head around a tree trunk as she listened.

The slavers had caught four demons and had them all subdued with the necklaces around their necks. They were forcing them into the wagon as the demons tried to fight to get away.

They had caught one kitsune, two-inu youkai, and a neko youkai. They were using whips to make them submit as they pushed them into the wagons so they could take them back to the processing facility.

They wanted to get away from this area before the soldiers came and found them. They risked everything to go into the forbidden lands, but they were willing to take it in order to capture more demons for the money they would receive for them.

"Hurry men! We need to get away from here before we're discovered. The soldiers should be making their way back here by now. The disturbance we caused a few miles back will not keep them there for long, so we have to move." Said the slaver who seemed to be in charge of the group.

Kagome heard everything that the man was saying as she opened up all of her senses. She felt the presence of a big group of humans heading their way. She figured it was the soldiers making their way back towards their location.

She took her bow off her shoulder and pulled an arrow out of her quiver as she walked out of the forest and took aim. "I suggest that you let them go right now unless you want to die."

The slavers froze when they heard a woman's voice. They turned in the direction in which the voice came from. Their eyes opened wide to see the priestess that protected this land standing right in front of them, with an arrow locked.

The leaders face paled as he saw who had spoken and he said in a low voice, "We're in deep shit!"

The priestess eyed the intruders as she held her bow to them and said, "I said to release them or do you feel like dieing today."

The leader stepped forward, trying to gather up some strength in order to defy her orders as he said, "No, we're not going to release them. We're allowed to hunt for demons and we have caught them after a long day of hunting, so we're taking them back to the processing facility to get our money."

The priestess raised an eyebrow at them and said, "What makes you think that I will allow you to take them to the processing facility? So they can be treated cruelly, I don't think so.

You have captured them in the forbidden lands, it is strictly forbidden to take demons from this area. King Higurashi protects this land and I know that his soldiers take their jobs very seriously if they find any intruders here."

The priestess senses started to go off telling her that danger was near. She opened up her aura to find that they were trying to take her from behind. She smiled, raising her barrier as the slavers that had sneaked in behind her charged and ran right into it. The barrier threw them across the clearing were they landed in a heap unconscious.

"Fools! I won't be so easily captured by the likes of you! We will do this the hard way." The priestess then released her arrow as it impacted on one of the wagons and exploded.

The slavers stood there dumb founded as they saw their wagons get destroyed. They now had no way of getting the demons back to the processing facility. They had no choice, now they were going to fight.

They moved to surround the priestess as they made ready their attack. The priestess seeing what they were going to do was ready as well. They attacked and she put up a barrier, then she heard a familiar voice come out of the forest.

oOo

Inuyasha had been asleep when he felt that the warm body that was next to him was no longer there. He opened his eyes to see that Kagome was gone from his side. He quickly sat up as he growled menacingly. He had woken up the rest of the members from his group.

He slowly stood up, and then he said in a threatening voice, "Where's Kagome? Where's my MATE!"

His guards stood in fear they had failed to see that the girl had left the area. The guard's coward in front of Inuyasha begging him for forgiveness, for failing in their duty to protect.

Inuyasha was so enraged that not even the sword that he wore on his side was able to keep his demon side in check. His eyes turned blood red as his fangs and claws grew longer and two purple stripes appeared on each side of his cheek. He raised his nose into the air as he caught her scent and went after his mate.

They all ran behind him as they were trying to keep up with his pace. When Inuyasha was enraged he was hard to keep up with.

Inuyasha continued running through the forest following Kagome scent. He skidded to a stop when he lost her scent. He put his nose into the air as he sniffed around the area. He caught a new scent that was mixed with his mates. He recognized it but it was different from his mates as he followed it towards the humans he was detecting.

He came upon a clearing and heard a blast as he rushed in to see that the slavers were surrounding the priestess.

Inuyasha knew her but he didn't know how or where he had met the priestess before, but he felt something deep down inside that he had to protect her.

When he saw the slavers attack the priestess he jumped into the air and yelled, "IRON REAVER SOUL STEALER!" as the blades came out of his claws and landed around the slavers pushing them back away from the girl.

He landed in front of them as he flexed his claws and said, "I don't think you want to hurt her or the next time I won't miss."

Inuyasha slowly turned around and looked at the priestess as he tried to determine who she was, something inside of him was telling him that he knew her and that he shouldn't hurt her.

Kagome had been shocked to see that Inuyasha had come to her aid. She knew that she could handle the slavers as her temper started to flair. When she saw Inuyasha's eyes she was in shock. He had his father's sword with him but his eyes were blood red. He was barring his fangs at her as she took a step back in fear.

'Oh no, Inuyasha must've been really mad to turn full youkai even with his fathers sword hanging by his side. I have to try and calm him down.' Thought Kagome as she eyed her mate.

She saw as the slavers were about to attack Inuyasha, she closed her eyes and put her hands together as she concentrated on her spell.

Inuyasha sensing that the slavers were about to attack him quickly turned his attention back to them and flexed his claw as he attacked.

The priestess barrier was strong enough to encase all of the slavers and protect them, as Inuyasha hit her barrier and was thrown back into the forest.

Miroku, Sango and the other guards had made it to the clearing. They saw a priestess in the clearing putting a barrier around the slavers saving them from Inuyasha's attack, as her barrier sent him into the forest after he had hit it.

The guards turned to attack the priestess for hurting Inuyasha as she said, "If you want your prince to return to normal then I suggest that you listen to what I have to say before he comes back."

The guards stopped in their tracks as Mike stepped forward and said, "Alright we will listen but if you hurt him we will come after you."

The priestess inclined her head towards them in agreement and said, "The soldiers that protect this land for the king are on their way here as we speak. Tell them that I have caught these slavers catching demons on their lands and that they are to deal with them.

When you approach the barrier," she pointed at Mike, "and touch it, it will release the slavers to the soldiers. I will take your prince into the forest to find his mate and return him to normal. If I don't then he will attack anyone who comes here."

As if on cue Inuyasha returned with his fangs and claws bared as Mike moved out of the way. Then Mike said over his shoulder, "We will do as you ask as long as you can return him to normal before we lose him."

The priestess inclined her head to him in agreement as she stared at the hanyou and said, "Hanyou! If you want to find your mate then follow me." She then turned and ran into the forest with Inuyasha hot on her trail.

Miroku and Sango stood their looking at each other not knowing what to do. They saw the demons that were captured and they all went over to try and help them. They were getting the last of the chains off when the soldiers from king army showed up with weapons drawn.

Miroku stepped forward and told them what had happened and that the priestess that protects this land had left a present for them to deal with.

The soldiers smiled as Mike stepped forward and touched the barrier that fell, to allow the soldiers to take the slavers away to be dealt with.

When all of the humans were gone, the captured demons offered their thanks for releasing them, and then they took off toward the Western Lands were they could be left alone.

Miroku saw them leave and then he said, "Mike, can you follow Inuyasha scent? We need to find him as soon as possible along with Kagome. If that priestess keeps her word then she should be able to return Inuyasha back to normal."

Mike raised his nose into the air and picked up the scent, as they all headed in the direction that Inuyasha had chased the priestess into the forest.

oOo

Kagome continued running through the forest as fast as she could. She was running faster than she ever thought possible. Inuyasha was gaining on her even at her speed. She needed to get him away from all of the people or he would wind up hurting them. It was her fault that he had turned full youkai so she was responsible for his actions.

Kagome could feel him getting closer to her but she couldn't run any faster. She didn't want him to catch her just yet. So she tried to think of a way that she could out run him.

Inuyasha was running after the wench that told him that she would show him were his mate was. He was getting angrier by the minute at not finding his mate as the priestess continued to run away from him.

Inuyasha decided that enough was enough and he wanted his mate, so he jumped in the air and landed right in front of her as she skidded to a stop.

Kagome's eyes grew big when she saw that Inuyasha had landed right in front of her. She turned to leave when he grabbed her from behind and pinned her to the ground with his hand around her neck.

"Were is my mate!" growled the demon Inuyasha as his face came closer to hers trying to instill fear in her.

Kagome had no choice as she let her spell collapsed and revealed herself to him.

Inuyasha eyes grew big as he saw his mate in his grasp. He thought that it was a trick as he growled and bared his fangs at the girl. He caught a scent that only his mate could have as he tore the shirt she was wearing to expose her shoulder.

Inuyasha lowered his nose to her shoulder and breathed in deeply. It was his scent that he smelled on the girl and only his mate could have that scent.

He licked the mating mark and instantly knew that she was his mate as he laid on top of her and released her neck. He continued to clean her neck by licking the sweat and dirt she had on it, as he savored her sweet juices.

Kagome was having a hard time breathing as Inuyasha held her by her neck. She didn't think he was ever going to let her go as she felt him tear her shirt to expose her shoulder. He had leaned down and sniffed, as a purr started to come out of his chest, he finally released her neck as he laid on top of her.

Kagome sighed in relief as she felt Inuyasha giving attention to her neck as she took her hands and started to rub his ears. Inuyasha laid his head down on her chest as she continued to rub his ear to calm him down.

Inuyasha opened his eyes to find that he was lying on something soft and someone was rubbing his ears. When he looked up he saw Kagome under him and he saw her torn shirt. He quickly got off her as he sat on the ground and started to think about what happened.

Kagome sat up as she looked at her mate with concern and asked, "Inuyasha, are you all right?"

Inuyasha looked up at her, first with shock in his eyes then with anger. He started to remember what made him go full youkai as he growled, "Why did you leave my side when we were traveling here? Why would you put yourself in danger?"

Kagome saw the anger in his eyes and she lowered her head. She knew she was in big trouble as he remembered what happened.

She swallowed hard and then she said in a low voice, "I'm sorry Inuyasha, I didn't mean to go off like that. I wanted to see why there were humans in the forbidden forest so I went to check it out. I didn't think that I was going to get in a fight with them."

"You didn't think? I know you didn't think because you went out on your own and you could've gotten yourself killed!" Inuyasha lowered his head as he shook with rage, his nose picked up the scent of her tears as he looked up and saw that his mate was crying.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Inuyasha! I know that this is my entire fault. I didn't want you to turn full youkai and hurt anyone." Kagome was shaking as she cried she knew she had hurt her mate deeply.

Inuyasha tried to calm down. Him being mad at his mate wasn't helping the situation as she continued to cry uncontrollably. He reached for her and placed her in his lap as he rocked her back and forth to calm her down.

Kagome wrapped her arms around his chest as she held him, glad to be receiving comfort from her mate and that he wouldn't turn her away.

Inuyasha continued to rock his mate in his lap as he said, "Kagome, you can never do that again. I became enraged when I smelled the humans in the forest and your scent going towards them.

When you changed into the priestess and changed your scent, I could've killed you because my demon side would've thought you hurt my mate.

Kagome, I don't want to lose you. Please promise me that you will never leave my side like that again." His voice was pleading with her.

Kagome held on tighter as she promised never to leave his side.

Inuyasha looked up and noticed that they had almost made it back to her house. He stood up with Kagome in his arms as he walked the rest of the way to her house.

He made it to her house in about 10 minutes as he opened the front door and went straight to her room and laid her down in her bed.

Kagome had opened her eyes when she felt that she was lying on something soft and tried to get up. A firm but gentle hand pushed her down as Inuyasha held her in his embrace and started to purr.

Kagome heard his purr and welcomed the sleep he was putting her in. She was tired and with everything that had happened today she was more than willing to be put to sleep by him.

Inuyasha felt as Kagome relaxed and fell asleep in his arms as he laid her back down. He went outside to wait for his guards to reach him along with Miroku and Sango.

It had taken Miroku and the rest of them another hour before they finally made it back to Kagome's house. When they got there they were out of breath, they had been running at full speed to get there, after they had all left chasing the demon Inuyasha.

When they saw Inuyasha sitting outside of the house waiting for them they were relieved to see that he was back to normal.

Inuyasha stood as he saw his friends approaching him. When Miroku was close enough, that he could hear him without yelling, he asked, "Are you alright? Is Kagome safe?"

Inuyasha sighed as he said, "Yes, I'm fine and Kagome is asleep inside the house." Everyone was relieved that he had his mate with him.

Sango stepped forward and said, "Inuyasha, do you think that I can borrow Kagome's car to go home tonight? I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

Inuyasha shrugged his shoulder and said, "Sure, do you know where she keeps the keys for it?" Sango nodded her head yes as she went inside the house to get the keys.

She returned a few minutes later with them in her hands as she said, "Tell Kagome that I will call her in the morning with the time for the graduation practice tomorrow."

Inuyasha inclined his head to her in understanding as he watched his friends leave in his mate's car.

Once they were gone he turned his attention to the five guards kneeling before him. They had failed miserably in their duty to protect his mate. He could've done a better job just being by himself.

He growled as he flared his nostrils and said in a menacing voice, "You failed in the only duty you had to perform today. You came along with me to help me protect my mate. I awake to find her gone and in danger. What do you have to say for yourselves?"

Mike being the leader of the group spoke with worry in his voice, "My lord, we are truly sorry that we have failed to protect your mate. I assure you that it will not happen again."

The guards were trembling in front of him. They knew that their lives were in his hands. He could kill them for failing in their duty to protect. It was their soul purpose for going with him. All of the guards were inu youkai, so this incident disgraced the honor of the guards that his father has under him.

Inuyasha sighed he smelled the fear that was coming from the guards. "You're a disgraced to the honor guards that are in my fathers service. You will have to prove yourselves from now on. I will give you all another chance. Fail again and you better make sure that the enemy kills you because if they don't then I will." Inuyasha said with a growl as he went back into the house to be with his mate. It had been a long day and he wanted to rest.

The guards waited until Inuyasha was in the house before they all breathed a sigh of relief. They all released a breath that they didn't know they were holding as they all stood and looked at each other.

Mike looked at his friends and said, "We now know that the girl can take off without us even noticing. We will have to take shifts to make sure she doesn't try that again, because the next time we won't be so lucky. Inuyasha will keep his threat to kill us if we fail again." All of the guards nodded their head in understanding.

Mike picked his nose up into the air as he caught the scent of an intruder in the forest. His ears picked up the sound of the intruder leaving the area as he told one of his men to follow to see where he was going. The guard bowed his head as he took off into the night after the intruder.

The rest of the guards took up there positions around the house as they took turns staying awake for the rest of the night.

oOo

Shawn and the rest of the group, that were following Inuyasha, traveled a good deal behind them to make sure they weren't detected. They knew that they were jumping from tree branch to tree branch because they had seen them high above them.

They ran along the ground to keep out of sight as one of his men traveled up high to see if they took a different route.

Shawn knew the way to Kagome's house, having been there once before. They kept running until the group decided to stop for a midday break. He and his men decided to take a break too as they went hunting for their lunch. They ate in silence, waiting for the scout that he had sent to go find out what Inuyasha's group was doing.

When the scout returned he informed the group that they were going to rest for at least a couple of hours before heading out. 'Good, this means we can rest for a few hours also.' Thought Shawn as he gave his men his orders.

Shawn was in a light sleep when he caught the scent of demons and humans nearby, he opened his eyes and got a bearing in which direction the scent was coming from. He woke his friends as they took off into the forest to see what was going on.

They traveled in the safety of the trees tops incase someone approached in the same direction as they were traveling. When they arrived at the clearing they saw that the slavers had captured four demons. They were whipping them, trying to get them into the wagons so they could leave the area.

He was trying to put a plan together to see if he could help them when a priestess came out of the forest with her bow drawn and aimed at the slavers. They watched as the confrontation between them heated up and she released her arrow.

The priestess was very powerful when her arrow impacted against the wagon it had blown it to pieces. He saw as the slavers surrounded the priestess getting ready to attack her, he was about to give his men the order to attack when Inuyasha showed up in his demon form to protect her.

Shawn was shocked to see this because Inuyasha's sword was said to hold his demon blood in check, but it seemed that it couldn't do that. He saw as Inuyasha went out of control and was about to attack the slavers. A powerful barrier was placed around them to protect them. When Inuyasha hit it, it sent him into the forest from the blast he received.

He saw as Mike and the others entered the clearing ready to attack the priestess for hurting Inutaisho son but the priestess was proving to be smart.

She got them to listen to her as she said that she would return the hanyou to normal if they would give the slavers to the soldiers who were approaching.

Shawn picked up his nose and sniffed the air, the king soldiers were coming towards them in a big hurry. When Inuyasha came back into the clearing he was ready to fight. The priestess told him to follow her if he wanted his mate, as they took off at a dead run into the forest.

Mike got his men together as they followed the hanyou and the priestess into the forest. They were fast and by the time they had gotten to the place were Inuyasha was, he had already been turned back to normal and he was holding his crying mate in his arms.

They couldn't figure out why his mate was crying but it was good that she was because that probably got him back to normal.

They followed the hanyou back to Kagome's house as they saw him enter the house. He came out about 20 minutes later and sat outside waiting for the rest of his group to arrive.

Mike decided to move his group away from the area incase the wind shifted and the hanyou noticed that there were more guards than his father had sent. He kept watch as he saw the rest of the group show up at the house.

He saw Miroku leave with his mate as the remaining guards were on their knees facing Inuyasha with their heads down. He couldn't hear what was being said but he knew that it was bad if they were down on their knees.

The hanyou finally left to go inside, as Shawn made his way over to Mike.

Mike noticed that Shawn was coming his way as he went to meet his friend and fill him in on what was happening. Mike explained about the girl leaving the camp and how mad Inuyasha had been to find his mate was gone. He had turned full youkai in the process but when they had found him he was back to normal the way the priestess said she would make him.

Mike also informed him that there was an intruder in the area and that he had sent one of his men after him to see where he was going. Shawn nodded his head that he understood before heading deep into the forest to keep watch.

He knew that to guard these two would be difficult but it was proving to be almost nearly impossible. They were attracting a lot of unwanted attention and they would have to be on their toes.

They all settled in for the night as they waited for the guard to return to see where the intruder had gone.

oOo

The man that had been sent to watch over the girl's house saw when they had returned. He stayed a little while longer to see who the demon had been waiting for when he came out and sat in front of the house.

He saw when another group of demons come out of the forest and made their way towards him. He listened for a little while until he saw two of them leave in the girl's care. Then he thought it best to leave the area while he had the chance.

He quietly got out of the tree, he had been sitting in for the past week, as he made his way thru the forest back to his car. He needed to get back to the processing facility so he could tell Naraku and Kusco that they have returned to this area.

As the human was leaving the area the demon that had been sent to follow him saw the vehicle he had gotten into and followed. It was difficult but he kept his eye on the car as he drove away from the girl's house.

He followed the human to a big building that had the smell of demons all around it. If he had to guess what this building was then it would be a processing facility, judging by all of the scents he was picking up from the outside.

The man got out of his car as he made his way towards the building. The guard seeing enough, and knowing that he couldn't follow him inside the facility, decided to return to his companions and tell them what he had found out.

He took off at a fast pace back towards his lords new home to tell them what he had seen. He hoped that it was not as bad as he was thinking, but then again when it involved the slavers then anything could happen.

oOo

The man had made his way into the facility to the second floor of the building. He was heading straight for Naraku office as he stopped in front of his door and gently knocked. He waited until he heard, "Come In." as he opened the door and then stepped inside.

Naraku and Kusco had been sitting in his office trying to figure out a way to get to the hanyou and the girl. They were about to call it a night when they heard a soft knock on the door and Naraku said, "Come In."

The door opened and in stepped the person that they had sent to keep an eye on the girl's house. They knew that he had good news for them because he wouldn't have left the girl's house if they haven't returned.

The man stepped in front of his desk and said, "Naraku the girl and the hanyou are back at her house. They arrived earlier this evening and they have a group of demons that are protecting them."

Naraku leaned back in his chair and thought, 'this is good news. Now that they're back all I have to do is capture them.'

Naraku nodded his head towards the man in understanding and then told him that in his next paycheck he will have something special in it for all of his troubles.

The man smiled as he turned to leave then he remembered something that might be of importance to him. He stopped and turned towards Naraku and said, "Oh, one more thing sir, one of them had said that they will call the girl in the morning with the practice time for the graduation ceremony. I thought that you should know."

The man then turned and left the office at a quick pace. Wanting to get away from Naraku before he gave him something else to do.

Naraku smiled as he saw the man leave. Kusco seeing her employer with a smile on his face asked, "What are you smiling about Naraku?"

Naraku turned his attention to Kusco and said, "Well, I just figured out where we can get our hands on the girl and the hanyou."

Kusco raised her eyebrow at him as she said, "and where would that be? They're being guarded out at the girls house and if we attack there they could make it into the safety of the forest before we could give chase."

Naraku shook his head as he tried to explain his idea. "We will not be attacking them at the girls house. They are too well protected there. We need to attack them somewhere were they are more vulnerable, somewhere where their guards won't be so close to them, somewhere were there will be a lot of people."

Kusco was starting to get the idea as she said, "Oh, you mean like the graduation ceremony that the girl is going to be attending."

Naraku smiled as his colleague finally caught on to what he was saying. "Yes, that's exactly the place I was thinking about. The guards won't be anywhere near them and it would be the perfect opportunity to attack and capture them. We could have our men there with sleeping powder to subdue both of them and then we can bring them back here."

Kusco liked this idea as she smiled and said, "Well, I will find out when this graduation ceremony is suppose to be. Then I will start getting everything ready for when our special guest arrive here. We know that it is going to be difficult to subdue him, but as long as we can show him that we have his mate, he should obey everything we tell him to do."

Naraku nodded his head in agreement as he saw Kusco leave his office to set his plan in motion. Once he had them in the processing facility it should be easy to get what they all wanted from the king. The king will not risk having his daughter hurt so he would give into his demands.

Naraku sat back in his chair as he slowly started to rock it back and forth. He had an evil thought, he was thinking about all the money he was going to get for the two of them once he brought them back here to the processing facility. He knew of some people that would pay handsomely for a beauty like the princess, as for the hanyou, well he could give him to Kusco and she will be happy for the time being until she gets tired of him and kills him.

Naraku started to laugh as he continued to rock in his chair.

oOo

Well the end to another chapter. As you can see Naraku is not going to give up on capturing Kagome and Inuyasha. Will he succeed in his plan to capture them or will they escape and head back toward the Western Lands? You have to wait to find out.

Chapter 16 was the last lemon for this story. I'm sorry but I didn't write anymore, unless you all want another. Let me know what you think in your review and I will think about adding another.

I wanted to answer some questions that all of you had.

Will the Shikon No Tama be in the story? Well yes and no. There is a jewel but it's not the Shikon No Tama. I named it something else and what it does, well you have to wait to find out.

Will Sesshomaru be in the story? Yes, your favorite youkai will be in the story but not until much later. So for all of you that are waiting to read about him, well you are going to have to wait a little more.

What kind of demon is Miroku? You will find out in the next chapter. Its where he reveals his true demon form.

Someone asked me what Koi and Koishii meant. It means beloved.

Will Inuyasha and Kagome have pups? Hmmm, hard question to answer but you have to wait and see what I do in the story.

I think I have gotten all of the pressing questions out of the way. If I missed any I will try to answer them in the next chapter.

Remember to leave me a review and let me know what you think. I enjoy hearing from all of you.

Until the next time!

Ja ne!


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Kagome awoke the next morning to find that she didn't have any clothes on and that she was being held tightly in her mates embrace. Ever since she had mated with Inuyasha she never wore any clothes to bed. They slept in each other's embrace with Inuyasha's hand usually finding one of her breast to hold on to.

This morning it was no different. Sometime in the middle of the night, when he had put her to sleep after getting back to the house, he had completely taken off all of her clothes. She felt him next to her and he was just as naked as she was. His body was curled around hers as he cradled her in his embrace.

She loved this feeling he gave her. She felt like she was the most important thing to him and he never wanted to let her go. She cuddled in closer to him as she felt him move behind her. He shifted his hands as he held her even tighter and she moaned at his movements.

Inuyasha started to open his eyes. He had felt when Kagome had woken up a little while ago but she had stayed still in his embrace. When she moved closer to him, he wrapped his arms even tighter around her. It felt good to have her in his arms, as he felt warm and loved.

He leaned down and started to kiss her neck, as Kagome giggled at the hot wet tongue that came out of his mouth to tickle her. He released his hold on his mate and she started to stretch. As she brought her arms above her head, Inuyasha couldn't help but pin her there with his body as he kissed her passionately.

Kagome melted into his kiss as he had her pinned against the bed. When he pulled away from her he smiled as he started to kiss her neck again. Kagome was having fun but it was getting late and she knew that Sango would be calling her soon. She needed to get cleaned up before they went to the graduation practice.

"Inuyasha?" she moaned, trying to get her mates attention. When she saw that his ears were turned towards her she continued, "I have to get cleaned up before Sango calls so we can go to the graduation practice."

She heard a growl come from her mate indicating that he was not happy. She giggled and said, "Don't worry love, I will make it extra special for you tonight."

She purred into his ear and felt his body shiver as he raised his head off her shoulder and said, "you better make it really special or it will be the last time I ever let you leave this room."

Kagome giggled as he kissed her once again. When he finally got off her she went into the bathroom to get cleaned up before Sango called.

Inuyasha laid in bed as he saw his mate going into the bathroom to take a shower. He was thinking about going to join her when Kagome shouted, "Don't even think about coming in here or else our deal is off for tonight!"

Kagome could hear Inuyasha pout from all the way in the bedroom. She knew what he was thinking about and every time he joined her in the shower they wouldn't leave for at least two hours. She enjoyed his attention but right now she didn't have the time for it.

Once the ceremony was done, and they left to go back to his kingdom, she was more than willing to stay with him in bed all day long if that's what he wanted.

But she wouldn't mind another training session like the one they had back in his kingdom. That was one of the best training sessions she had ever had. She grew in power that day and losing to her mate wasn't that bad, it was kind of enjoyable.

When Kagome had finished in the bathroom, she went back into the bedroom to find that Inuyasha was already gone. Kagome frowned as she headed out of the bedroom to look for her mate.

She sensed that he was outside with the rest of his men as she walked out to welcome the morning sun. She always enjoyed the morning sunshine as she looked up into the sky and just enjoyed its rays.

She saw her mate with his guards as they were telling him something that upset him. They stopped talking as soon as she was close enough to hear and his men walked away when she came up to Inuyasha.

She looked at her mate with concern in her eyes as she said, "Inuyasha, what's wrong? Why are you so upset?"

Inuyasha didn't want to tell his mate that they had caught an intruder on the grounds last night. But he knew that she could sense something was bothering him and he couldn't lie to her. He took a deep breath and then told her what his men had said about the intruder.

Kagome stood there and listened to what Inuyasha had to say. She reached a hand up to his cheek and gently caressed it as she said, "We're just going to have to be careful when we go to the graduation practice. I will talk to my father and tell him what is going on. I'm sure that he will give us some extra guards to protect us."

Inuyasha looked into her eyes as he embraced her, he couldn't stand to think that someone was trying to hurt his mate to get to him. He loved her and he will protect her with his life.

When they pulled away from their embrace they went inside the house to get something to eat as they waited for Sango to call.

As the morning progressed Sango called with the time for the practice that day. Kagome called home and told her mother that she was back and that she would need an escort to the graduation practice.

After explaining what was going on to her mother, she had taken care of everything. Her mother had sent a limousine to take her to the practice along with two cars to carry Inuyasha's guards.

Once there Mike told his men to spread out so they could look at the area. Two guards remained with Inuyasha and Kagome while the other three were looking around the area trying to find all of the weak points to the building.

The practice went off without a hitch as Inuyasha watched Kagome from the stands. He had Tetsusaiga with him and Kagome had his mother's sword with her. But anyone that looked at where the swords were hanging they would see a cell phone hanging off Kagome's waist and for Inuyasha it was a small black case that hung on his waist.

They returned that evening from the day's events after Kagome and Inuyasha paid a visit to her parents. They voiced their concerns for the graduation ceremonies as her father reassured them that he would put his personnel guards to protect the area.

For the first time since they had been mated Inuyasha was interested in nothing more than just cuddling with his mate. Kagome became concerned at the way her mate was acting but she held him just the same and tried to comfort him.

She had to think of a way that if they were attacked during the graduation ceremony that she could still be connected to her mate. She didn't want to get pulled away from him during the battle only to find that he had turned full youkai and was killing everyone in sight looking for her.

The graduation was in two days and that's how long she had to think of a plan, that if they subdued both of them, that they could remain together even if they took them.

oOo

The day of the graduation finally came and Kagome was happy for it.

Inuyasha had been on edge ever since they had told him about the intruder being near the house. He was very irritable and when he was dealing with his men he would snap their heads off.

On several occasions Kagome had to go and get him to calm him down, his men were very grateful for the save.

She would lead him into the garden where they would sit together and she would hold him in her arms until he fell asleep. Staying there at her house was taking its toll on Inuyasha. He never slept anymore unless he was in her arms. He would begin to whine like the first night he spent at her house when he was asleep.

Kagome knew that the memories of the time he had spent in the processing facility were coming back to him as he was trying to overcome his fears. Much in the same way Kagome memories returned when Kouga had almost raped her.

For this reason she had refused to go to any more graduation practices saying that she had other duties to attend to, meaning her mate.

One morning Inuyasha had awoken to find that Kagome was gone from the bed. He nearly tore the house apart trying to find her. When he finally found her she was in the kitchen. She had been making breakfast for them when he came rushing in and held her in his arms.

He proceeded to tell her that he had a bad dream that the slavers had captured her and taken her away. He told her that they had captured him as well and that they were slowly being tortured.

His whimpers touched her heart and she couldn't get mad at him when he made her burn her food. She held him in her embrace as he finally calmed down. When he looked at her ruined food he retreated even further into himself with his ears down and a frightened look on his face at what she might do to him.

Kagome just held him, cooed at him, and rubbed his ears while she held him in her arms until he finally relaxed and fell asleep there.

This is the way it was until the day of the graduation ceremony.

When the time came to leave for the ceremony Kagome walked out of her room to see Inuyasha elegantly dressed in the black Haorihakama, and the white Juban she had brought for him to go to her fathers dinner party. She didn't have the chance to give it to him but he must've found it in his closet.

Kagome was wearing her graduation robe as she walked up to her mate and said, "You look very handsome." She reached up and gave him a lick on his chin.

Inuyasha had closed his eyes and shivered as he enjoyed what his mate did to him. He purred as he brought her into his embrace and held her. When they pulled apart Kagome said, "Inuyasha, after the ceremony I want to go home."

Inuyasha looked at her strange as he said, "but Kagome, you are home."

Kagome looked up and said, "I want to go to your home. Your home is my home now and I want you to be happy again. You don't sleep at night and you're not acting like the Inuyasha I know. I want to live in happiness for the rest of my life. I want to run through the forest like we did when we were home."

Kagome continued to look at him with tear soaked eyes as she continued. "Promise me that if we get attacked that you will never leave my side. Don't ever let go of me. I want to stay with you even if they capture us. Please Inuyasha, don't let them take me from you." She was now crying full force as Inuyasha held her tight.

"I promise never to leave your side and to never let go of you. If they do capture us then we will go together." Inuyasha now knew of her fears. She was scared that they would take him away from her.

He held onto her for a little while longer until it was time to go. Her father had sent the cars to take them to the ceremony. They all got in as they headed for the graduation ceremony.

oOo

Kusco and Naraku were at the graduation ceremony looking at the set up. They wanted to make sure that their plan was going to work before they put everyone in place.

When they entered the building, where the ceremony was to be held, they noticed that there were guards everywhere. King Higurashi had placed his personal bodyguards around the entire area. There was no way that they would be able to get to the hanyou from in here.

Naraku thought for a few minutes and came up with a new plan that should work. All they had to do was get everyone in place and get a few of the processing facility demons to help them.

He explained his plan to Kusco and she smiled, once they got them outside the building their plan should work.

oOo

When Kagome and Inuyasha arrived at the graduation ceremony they drew a lot of attention. There were a lot more people there for the ceremony than there where suppose to be. Everyone wanted to get a good look at the princess's future husband.

Inuyasha's guards formed a protective circle around them. They were trying to keep all of the people away from them as they were trying to make their way into the building. Inuyasha moved closer to Kagome, he grabbed her around her waist as they continued to walk.

He heard several people talking and their remarks towards him. He heard one say 'How can she even think about joining with a demon.' While another one said, 'Wow he is so cute, look at his cute ears! I wouldn't mind having him in my bed.' He started to growl and Kagome snuggled closer to him to keep him calm. She knew he didn't like the crowds but it was to be expected.

The king's guards finally arrived and pushed the crowd back to allow the couple to enter the building. Three of Inuyasha's guards took off in different locations within the building, once the guards from the king had arrived. They went up high so they could see what was going on as two of the guards stayed with Inuyasha to guard him and his mate.

Mike was walking around the building when he noticed that Shawn was high up in the rafters, he signaled for him to come down and meet him off to the side so they could discuss their plan in case something went wrong.

"Shawn, I have a very bad feeling that something is going to happen tonight. Make sure that your men are in place to protect Inuyasha and Kagome. If things go wrong then we will make a break for the forest and head home. Kagome wants to go back to the Western Lands as soon as all this is over with." Mike said in a hurried voice, he wanted to get back to his guard duty.

"Alright, if they get attacked send them into the forest and we will be waiting for them to escort them back to the Western Lands. You can create a diversion until they have made it into the forest safely and allow them time to escape. Then you can head back toward the Western Lands.

If something happens make sure that one of your men goes back to tell Inutaisho what has happen. I'm sure that he has a plan ready to get them back if they're captured." Said Shawn as he looked at his friend. He inclined his head towards Mike and headed back towards the rafters of the building.

Mike made it back to his companions and told them the plan incase there was any trouble. Everyone understood what to do as they stood guard over the ceremony.

Kagome met Sango at the ceremony along with Miroku. They walked inside the building as Kagome meet with her parents, she quickly told them that they were leaving to go back to the Western Lands as soon as the ceremony was over. Her parents understood her reasons, even though they hated to see her go.

The girls headed towards the rest of the graduating group as Inuyasha, Miroku, and Kagome parents sat in a special place just for them.

Miroku noticed that Inuyasha was holding onto his Tetsusaiga with a firm grip. He leaned over and said, "Inuyasha? Is something wrong? Why are you holding onto your sword?"

Inuyasha bristled as he said, "Danger is near and my demon side is ready to come out and protect Kagome. I have to keep it in check, I don't want to ruin this moment for Kagome and as soon as this is over with we're leaving to go home to the Western Lands."

Miroku was taken by surprise by his statement but he knew why they were leaving so soon. "Sango and I are going with you, we don't want to stay behind."

Inuyasha nodded his understanding, as the ceremony was about to begin.

The ceremony was boring, in Inuyasha's opinion, all of these people were getting up and talking about the future and their goals.

He sat there and listened to what they were saying but his mind was on his mate. He could see her in the sea of people down below as the little voice in the back of his mind came back to haunt him.

Twice now it had warn him of Kagome being in danger and twice he had been there to save her. He hoped that this time it wouldn't be any different and that he could still protect her.

Finally, after all of the senseless talking they started to call all of the students up on the stage. They called them one by one in order to present them with their degree.

Inuyasha watched, as Kagome was getting closer to the stage, his instincts started to kick in as the danger was near and after Kagome. He started to sniff the air trying to find the intruders but with so many different kinds of scents around him he couldn't pick them out.

He started to growl low in his throat, getting more and more upset by the minute. Miroku hearing his friend's distress leaned over and asked, "Inuyasha? What's wrong? What are you sensing?"

"Kagome's in danger and as soon as she steps up to the stage I have a feeling that all hell is going to break lose." Inuyasha's eyes were fixed on his mate as he watched her getting closer to the stage.

Miroku motioned for one of their guard and he quickly came over to him. He told the guard what was going on as he quickly pulled away and ran toward the stage with the other guard close behind him.

Kagome noticed out of the corner of her eye that Inuyasha's guards were heading towards the stage. She knew it meant trouble when she saw her mate holding his sword trying to remain calm.

Kagome was next in line to walk across the stage to receive her diploma. The hair on the back of her neck started to rise, she felt the danger before it happened.

Kagome walked across the stage towards the Dean of schools to receive her diploma. A powerful blast ripped through the stage sending her and anyone on the stage towards the rest of the students 10 feet away.

She was flying through the air when she felt strong arms go around her body as they landed in a heap on the ground. Kagome instantly fell unconscious in her savior's arms.

Inuyasha senses started to go crazy when he saw Kagome walking across the stage. He leaped from his chair trying to get to her as a blast ripped through the area.

He caught his mate in his arms as they landed in a heap on the ground with his mate held tight against his chest.

Inuyasha groaned as he started to move. He could barely hear the people screaming, his ears were still ringing from the blast. He looked around trying to focus on where he was. He saw the backs of four demons that were protecting him and his mate.

He looked down and saw that Kagome was unconscious in his arms. He became fully awake as he pulled her closer to him.

She was still breathing which was good and he breathed a sigh of relief. Then he caught the scent of her blood, as he removed his hand from her back, he noticed that it was bloody.

Inuyasha looked at her back and noticed that her graduation robe was ripped. When he took a closer look he saw that she had a deep cut and it was bleeding pretty heavily. He moved his hand over the wound and applied pressure to stop the flow of blood.

He felt a gentle touch on his shoulder as he looked up and saw Kagome's father kneeling right next to him, as he asked in a very concerned voice, "Is she all right?"

Inuyasha nodded his head yes as he heard her father say, "Inuyasha, if you can travel you need to get her out of here. They are after you and Kagome. You must head back to the Western Lands, now!"

Inuyasha heard his words as it brought him fully out of his daze. He grabbed his mate and he stood up. He looked around area trying to see where they could get out of the burning building.

The exits were being blocked with the humans trying to get out of the building. One of his guards tapped him on the shoulder as he turned to look at him.

"My Lord, we have to go up." Mike was pointing to the rafters, he was pointing to the skylights that they could use to escape. Inuyasha nodded his head in agreement as he looked at Kagome's father with concern in his eyes.

King Higurashi saw the concerned look on Inuyasha face and then he answered his unasked question, "Inuyasha go and get Kagome to safety, we will be alright. It's you they're after not me."

Inuyasha heard his words as the group of demons made there way towards the rafters.

Miroku was with them along with Sango. He had protected her from the blast when Inuyasha gave him a few seconds warning on what was going to happen. He had rushed in and grabbed Sango as he shielded her from the blast. They had made their way towards Inuyasha and his guards as they prepared to leave.

They were all in the rafters as Mike kicked out the skylight and they all jumped onto the roof. They moved to the edge as they surveyed what was going on down below, as they spotted the cars that had brought them there.

They were about to jump towards the cars to get away from the area when the cars blew up. They all stared in horror at what had happened, and then Inuyasha picked up the stench of that witch from the processing facility.

He growled as he turned around to see her standing right there in front of him. His guards surrounded him, blocking the slavers from getting to them, as they bared their fangs and claws at the enemy.

Mike turned and spoke in a language that only Inuyasha would understand and said,

: Beta Male! You must leave. Go into the forest, there are others from our pack that will help you reach the Western Lands. We will hold them for as long as possible to give you enough of a head start. :

Inuyasha stared at him with wide eyes. He knew that his father wouldn't just send the five guards he had with him and for once he was glad he didn't.

Inuyasha turned and said, "Come on Miroku!" As they jumped from the roof with there mates and headed into the forest.

Mike and the others stayed behind. They wanted to give Inuyasha and the others enough time to escape. The demons faced the slavers as they all attacked at once.

The slavers stood there ground as the demons attacked. The slavers were counting their blessing because the guards were all Inu Youkai. They pulled out the stink bombs and then threw them at the approaching demons.

They all stopped as they covered their noses to ward off the effects of the smell. They were starting to get light headed as Mike tried to push his men over to the edge so they could get away before they were captured.

When the slavers threw the sleeping powder Mike turned and ran towards the edge of the building and jumped. He was groggy but he had to make it back to Lord Inutaisho to tell him what has happened.

Kusco looked at her newly captured demons and instructed her men to take them back to the processing facility. She would have her fun with them later, trying to break them into being slaves.

She pulled out her cell phone from her pocket and dialed a number. When the person answered she said, "They're in the forest making their way towards the Western Lands. Make sure that everyone is in place for when they try to cross into the forbidden lands. I will bring the necessary items to subdue the hanyou."

She then closed her phone and put it back in her pocket. She smiled an evil smile as she thought about the hanyou, 'soon you will belong to me and that girl that you have chosen as your mate, I will personally make sure that you see me torture her to death.' Kusco started to laugh as she left the building.

The king's guards were arriving to try and get control over the area. They needed to leave so they could meet the rest of their party in the forest so they could capture their prize.

oOo

Miroku and Inuyasha had jumped from the building and landed solidly on the ground. They headed straight into the forest not even looking back to see if they were being followed.

Mike and the rest of the guards were holding back Kusco and her men from following them. They were going to give them as much of a head start as possible.

Inuyasha cringed at the thought, he had yelled at his men a few days earlier for not keeping an eye on his mate. They were now taking a big risk in getting captured to give them the chance to escape.

Inuyasha hoped that they didn't get captured. He wouldn't wish that not even on his worst enemy.

They continued to run through the forest when Kagome started to awaken and moan. Inuyasha stopped as he heard his mate, he wanted to make sure that she was all right and that her bleeding had stopped.

He placed her on the ground as he looked at her with concern. She was starting to get pale. He was about to remove her robe when a hand was placed on his shoulder and they said in a hurried voice, "Inuyasha, we have to keep moving. We're still too close to the processing facility for us to stop. If we stay here they will surely capture us." Said Shawn almost out of breath for having to run to catch up to them.

Shawn had quick reflexes as he dodged Inuyasha's claws. Inuyasha had been so preoccupied with his mate that he didn't hear or smell Shawn coming towards him. When he felt someone touch him, he lashed out as he brought Kagome closer to him.

Inuyasha was breathing hard as he looked at Shawn and growled.

Shawn backed away from him as he saw him flexing his claws getting ready to attack.

Through her hazy mind Kagome had heard Shawn's plea for them to keep moving. Inuyasha was determined to tend to her wounds right then and there. She knew she had to get her mate to move to a safer location or they would be captured.

"Inu…Inuyasha?" said Kagome with her eyes still closed. Inuyasha having heard his mate stopped his growling to pay attention to her.

Kagome hearing that he wasn't growling anymore knew that she had his attention, as she continued, "Mate, listen to him. We are in danger, we must move or they will catch us. Please, Inuyasha we must leave."

Inuyasha heard what she said as he pulled her closer to him and then stood bringing her along with him. He nodded towards Shawn indicating that he was ready to move.

Shawn was extremely grateful that Kagome had woken up just in time. He would've had a hard time trying to convince Inuyasha to keep moving for a little while longer. Now that Inuyasha was ready to leave they took off again through the forest to get away from the slavers.

They stopped about an hour later somewhere deep in the protected lands. Shawn had found a stream that Inuyasha could use to clean Kagome's wounds.

They stopped and checked the area making sure that it was safe. When Inuyasha was told that the area was safe he then put Kagome down on the ground. He held her in a sitting position and started to take off her graduation robe. He was glad to see that she had her normal clothes underneath the robe and that the shirt she was wearing was a tank top.

He got her free of her robes and was now able to see her wound. She had a deep cut on her right shoulder that was still bleeding. He rested her against his chest while he tore a piece of the robe to use as a cloth to clean her wound. He got the cloth wet with the cool water and then proceeded to clean her injury.

Kagome started to wake up. She felt something cold against her back as she was leaning forward being held by a strong arm. Then she felt the touch of a hot wet tongue as it was making the pain, she was feeling, go away.

She started to move but was held tight to prevent her from straightening up. Whatever Inuyasha was doing to her back it was making the pain go away as she snuggled against his chest.

Inuyasha felt when Kagome started to wake up. He was cleaning her wounds of the blood she had lost. She wanted to sit up but he held her firmly in him arms as he started to lick her wound. The wound was deep, he didn't know if his saliva could heal such a wound but he had to try. He continued with his actions until he started to notice that the wound was beginning to close.

He started to purr as he saw her wounds close, then he felt his mate as she snuggled closer to him. He continued until she was completely healed. Once he stopped Kagome moaned and looked up into his eyes.

"How do you feel?" He asked as he held her tight against him.

"I feel fine, just tired." Kagome said as she tried to stifle a yawn from escaping her mouth.

Inuyasha seeing this laughed and said, "Why don't you rest for a while, we won't be moving for at least a couple of hours."

Kagome nodded her agreement as she leaned on his shoulder and fell asleep. Inuyasha carefully took off his haori and wrapped his mate in it to keep her warm. He held her in his arms as they rested for a few hours.

Miroku and Sango had watched with interest. Sango wanted to go and help Inuyasha with Kagome but he had warned her about the time he had lashed out at Shawn for placing his hand on his shoulder.

Sango remembered and opted to stay with her mate and be safe. Sango saw as Inuyasha gently tended to Kagome's wound. He wrapped her up in his haori and now he held her tightly in his arms. She never knew that Inuyasha could be so gentle but the way he was holding Kagome meant that she meant to world to him.

They stayed in the clearing until morning, not wanting to travel by the moonlight, as they allowed Kagome and Inuyasha to rest.

oOo

Kagome woke to the early morning sounds of birds singing in the near distance. She felt warm as she started to move and tried to open her eyes. She heard a growl coming from above her because she had disturbed her mate's sleep.

Inuyasha started to awaken. He found that he was still in a sitting position with his mate in his lap, held tightly against his chest. He heard her moan and he smiled as she was trying to wake up. He leaned his head down and started to lick her on her temples.

Kagome felt Inuyasha's hot wet tongue on the side of her head. She could move very little as she rolled into his body and cuddled there. She wanted to open her eyes but found that parts of her body wouldn't respond to her brains commands. She couldn't understand what was going on or why she couldn't move. She could hear what was going on but she couldn't talk or really move.

Inuyasha continued to lick the side of her face but she wouldn't wake up. He became concerned as he got up from the ground with her in his arms.

He turned to the members of his group and said, "We need to get back to the Western Lands. I can't wake Kagome from her sleep and I need to get her to the healers."

Everyone looked at him with concern in his or her eyes, for Kagome not to awaken from a nights rest was alarming.

They all got ready to leave and left the area heading towards the Western Lands at a fast pace. They didn't know what was wrong with her but they were going to find out.

The group continued their headlong flight when they came to a clearing and stopped. The guards were flexing their claws, as they smelled intruders near by. They were suddenly surrounded by demons and they were trapped as the guards backed up and formed a protective circle around Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku and Sango.

Inuyasha started to growl as he pulled Kagome closer to him. He wasn't going to let them take her away from him. Kagome had asked him not to let go and he was bound and determined to keep his word.

An Oushi youkai stepped forward and said, "Hanyou, you and the girl are to come with us. Your friends may go free. It's you we're after not them."

Inuyasha looked at Miroku and spoke in as low a voice as he could so only he could hear what he was saying, "Miroku, I want you to take Sango and try to escape. You need to get to my father and tell him what has happened. Tell dad that if anything happens to me that he needs to look after Kagome for me. I will try to keep her with me but if they manage to separate us, then I'm not responsible for what may happen."

Inuyasha ended his statement in fear. He didn't know what was going to happen but he wanted his father to take care of his mate.

Miroku looked at Inuyasha with concern. He understood his message but he has never referred to his father as 'dad' before and this bothered him.

Inuyasha growled low and deep towards his guards, they nodded their understanding of his orders, as they all got ready. Miroku, not knowing what was going on, prepared himself for whatever was going to happen.

Inuyasha growled again and the front guards attacked blocking the demons in front, from rushing in and attacking Inuyasha.

Inuyasha had other ideas as he ran and then leaped into the trees as he continued to make his way towards the forbidden lands.

Miroku followed suit as he raced after Inuyasha along with the two rear guards.

The demons, seeing that their intended captives were escaping, gave chase as they left the guards that had attacked them lying in the clearing unconscious.

Inuyasha knew that they were chasing them as they continued jumping from tree branch to tree branch. He came to a decision as he yelled over his shoulder and said, "Miroku, we have to split up, you go to the right and I'm going to go to the left. If I don't make it back home by tonight then tell my father what happened."

Miroku understood and when they came to the next fork in the road they split. Miroku going alone to the right while Inuyasha continued racing toward home to the left being followed closely by his guards.

Miroku made it another half mile before he slowed down. Sango had been riding on his back for a long time and she had not moved or spoken to him.

He stopped as he turned towards Sango and said, "Sango? Are you all right? Why haven't you said anything?" Her silence sent a chill up his spine as he placed her down on the ground. He turned to look at his mate and found her unconscious.

Panic started to take over as Miroku yelled, "Sango! Sango! Please, wake up!" But she wouldn't move. He pulled her towards his chest and that's when he found the dart in her back. He pulled the dart out of her back and then he sniffed it.

Miroku didn't know a lot about medicine or herbs but he was sure that whatever was in the dart had made his mate unconscious. He started to think as he worried about Inuyasha. If they were using these darts then they might succeed in capturing him again.

Miroku picked up his mate bridle style and raced through the forest trying to get to Inuyasha to tell him of the new threat.

oOo

Inuyasha was running through the forest trying to reach the forbidden lands, he knew that if he could make it into the forbidden lands that they would be safe.

He continued to run with his guards when he felt a pain in his leg. He slowed, and then stopped, as he fell to his knees. His guards where standing on either side of him, while they asking what was wrong.

Inuyasha looked at his leg. He had something sticking out of it as he reached down and pulled it out of his leg. His body was getting tired as he realized what it was.

He tried to stand again and was hit with another dart. His guards rushed forward to pick him up and leave, when they were hit with darts as well. The guards struggled for a few minutes until the drugs took affect and they fell unconscious on the ground.

Inuyasha was fighting the affects of the drug as he tried to stand again and this time he was hit with a dart on his back. He couldn't remove it as he felt the stinging hot liquid go into his flesh.

He collapsed on the ground, but before he fell unconscious he pulled Kagome into his arms and held her tight, as he rapped his legs around her. He leaned down and whispered into her ear, "Koishii, I'm sorry, but they have captured us," as he fell unconscious.

Kagome heard what he had said. She managed to hug his body as she started her spell, by the time the slavers arrived the spell had been cast and there was no way they were going to separate them. Kagome listened to what they were saying as they were getting closer to where they were.

The demons that were chasing the hanyou had finally reached him as they formed a circle around their captives and waited for Kusco to arrive.

Kusco came out of the forest with a big smile on her face as she was putting away the dart gun she had used to subdue the hanyou. She looked at him, satisfied that he was finally subdued.

Kusco turned to her minions and said, "I want you to take the girl and the hanyou and place them in separate wagons. If he decides to wake up before we reach the processing facility then we'll have a way to subdue him. The girl will not wake up unless we release her from the sleeping spell we placed on her, so she won't be a problem."

Kagome was listening to what that bitch was saying, 'so, they placed a sleeping spell on me. Well that means I'm going to have to break this spell before they figure a way to separate us. My spell is only temporary and if Inuyasha lets go of me then the spell will be broken. I hope that he keeps his promise to me and never lets me go."

Kagome started to concentrate on breaking the sleeping spell that was placed on her. It was going to take her a while to break it, as she continued to work at it.

The demons moved forward to do their masters bidding. They took the other demons that were with them captive and moved them into one of the wagons as they threw them in none to gently.

Macho and another youkai went over to the hanyou and tried to separate him from his mate. When they tried to pull them apart, they couldn't. It seemed that they were stuck together and not even all of their strength could separate them.

Macho had to face the wrath of his master as he turned to her and said, "Master, we can't separate the hanyou from his mate. They seem to be stuck together."

Kusco heard what her slave said and turned towards them with anger in her eyes, "How can they be stuck together? That's impossible." Kusco walked over to the hanyou and as soon as she touched them a barrier sent her flying into the air where she landed on her back. The air was knocked out of her lungs as she lay there trying to breath.

The demons saw what had happened and almost chuckled. When they had touched the hanyou that didn't happen to them, but as soon as Kusco touched them, it sent her fling through the air. It was quite funny to see her flying like that, but it was short lived, as she slowly regained her composure and got up from the ground.

Kusco looked at the hanyou with daggers in her eyes. 'This situation is getting out of hand. First we couldn't capture them at the ceremony. Then it took three darts to finally bring the male hanyou down. Now they couldn't be separated.'

She was starting to get mad as she said, "Well, if we can't separate them then we're going to have to take them the way they are. Put them both into the wagon and let's get out of here before the soldiers show up."

Macho stepped forward and gently picked up the hanyou and his mate. He truly felt sorry for them. He knew who they were and he wished that he could help them. They were the only one's who could set them all free. But now they were captured and being taken back to the processing facility.

He knew that if they ever separated them, they were going to be tortured. The way Kusco was feeling at the moment, she wouldn't hesitate to kill the girl the moment she was separated from the hanyou.

Macho walked over to the wagon and gently placed them inside as they closed the door and locked it. They gathered all of the slaves and then headed towards the processing facility with their captives.

oOo

Miroku had followed his nose as he went towards Inuyasha scent. He knew he was getting closer as he raced through the forest with his mate in his arms. He felt the impending danger as he was trying to reach Inuyasha before he was captured.

He finally made it to the place where Inuyasha was located. He saw him on the ground when Inuyasha reached over and pulled a dart from his leg.

Miroku looked on in horror, he was too late to help his friend. Inuyasha tried to get up but he was hit again with another dart as he fell to the ground. He saw as his guards trying to help them but they too were hit with the darts and soon collapsed on the ground next to the hanyou.

He saw as Inuyasha tried again to leave but this time they hit him on his shoulder and he couldn't pull out the dart in time. He saw him go down but before he passed out he had wrapped his body around Kagome to keep her safe.

He watched as the slavers came out of the forest and tried to separate the two mates and found that they wouldn't be separated. Miroku watched with interest at what was going on down in the clearing. He noticed the spell that was placed around Inuyasha and Kagome and knew that it was Kagome who had did that. He smiled as he saw them trying to separate them but they couldn't.

He saw that female slaver, the one that they had encountered in the forest that one time when they were chasing Kouga, come over and try to separate them. He saw as Kagome's barrier sent her flying through the air to land on her back.

It was pretty funny to watch as she ordered the slaves to put them both in a wagon and then took off toward the processing facility.

Miroku knew that he couldn't follow them to help. He had to get back to Lord Inutaisho and tell him what has happened. He was not going to be happy to learn that his son was captured again.

Miroku knew that he had to travel quickly back to the Western Lands. He also knew that he was at least 3 hours from there if he traveled by land. Time was of the essence as he came to a decision. He never liked revealing his true form to anyone but under these circumstances he didn't have a choice. He needed to get to the Western Lands and fast.

His demon form hasn't been seen on this land for centuries, he kept it a secret from everyone except Lord Inutaisho. He was the only one who knew who he was and he respected his wishes on keeping his true form a secret.

He started to concentrate as his true demon form started to come out. His hair changed from black to a pure red that look like fire as it came down to about his waist. He had it pinned back in a low ponytail to keep it in place. His wings were made of golden feathers that appeared on his back as he spread his wings wide to flex them. He had three long golden tail feathers that spread out behind him as he stood. He wore a string of magic gems crowning his forehead to signify his status. He wore a golden sleeveless shirt that clearly showed the muscles that were hidden underneath the fabric, with long golden pants that hugged his legs to perfection. The fabric gave the impression that he was on fire. He was a Hou Youkai and he was the only one of his kind.

He held his mate close to him as he spread his wings and then took off heading towards the Western Lands. As he flew the only thing you could see was the fire that was trailing behind him. He was flying towards the Western Lands to tell Lord Inutaisho what has happened to his son.

oOo-

For all those interested a Hou Youkai is a Phoenix bird demon.

So now all of you finally know what kind of demon Miroku is. I hope it was worth the wait. The slavers have captured Kagome and Inuyasha as Miroku races toward the Western Lands to tell his father what happened. Will Inutaisho be able to get them back or will there be a war started because of this incident. You have to wait and see how the fathers react to this situation and see if they will work together or become bitter enemies.

Remember to leave me a review and tell me what you think.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

King Higurashi had been escorted out of the burning building, from where the graduation ceremony was being held, and was taken back to his home along with the queen. When he arrived he started making phone calls to gather as many of his men as possible to do a search of the forest to find his daughter and her husband.

He needed to know what happened to them, he wanted to know if she was safe or if they had captured her.

He was pacing, franticly, in his office when he heard a knock on his door and he said, "Come in." He was surprised to see that it was one of his slaves that came into his office. He was an Inu Youkai, but a small one. He remembered him being very sick when he was young and that they had provided the best of care for him to survive. He was very short. He had black hair and a small tail that was wrapped around his waist.

The slave entered his office, he was very nervous, he had been selected by the rest of the slaves to come and speak to him because they knew that the king would remember the young Inu Youkai.

When he approached the King he bowed very low and said, "My Lord, I've come to offer you our assistance in finding the princess. For years you have cared for us and treated us well. We were very happy to hear that your daughter had chosen a hanyou for a mate. We fear that the enemy might have gotten to them and we want to help you find her. We have very good trackers that can pick up their scent and follow their trail through the forest to see whether they were captured."

The king was surprise to hear this. He didn't know that his slaves felt this way about his family. It touched him very deeply that they wanted to help find his daughter.

The king smiled and said, "I'm honored that you all want to help. If you could pick five of your best trackers then I will have my men here within 30 minutes so you can start the search. I want to know if they made it to safety or if they have been captured. If they have been captured I want you to track them to where they have been taken to and report back to me."

The slave bowed and said, "Yes, My Lord, we will do as you ask. I will be back in 30 minutes with the trackers." The slave bowed again and left the room to relay the message the king had for them.

He knew that there would be more than just five who wanted to join the hunt for the princess. All of the slaves were fond of her, she always made them feel like they were equals and that meant everything to them. To hear that she was to marry the son of the Western Lands meant that they would all be free to roam the land again.

Many of them would never leave this place because this was home for them. They were happy here and they wanted to stay and tend the lands like they have been doing since coming into the king's service. But to have the option of leaving was a wonderful feeling.

The small Inu Youkai made his way toward the rest of the slaves. They were located just outside in the forest, waiting to see if their offer would be accepted. When he got there he repeated what the king had said. They all came to a decision as five of their very best trackers were selected and they headed back towards the kings house.

King Higurashi had his men there as his slaves came up to him. They bowed deeply and said, "My Lord, here are five of the very best trackers we have. They will find your daughter."

The King smiled and said, "Thank you for helping me find my daughter. I want you to go with these men. They will take you to the place where they were last seen going into the forest; the rest is up to you. I want them found and if they were captured I want their location." The demons nodded their understanding of his orders as they turned toward the king's guards and left his home to find his daughter.

The guards took the demons to the location where they had seen Inuyasha and Kagome enter the forest. The demons started to sniff the air and the ground as they followed their trail through the forest.

They came upon the stream where they had stopped and rested. The demons were looking around the area, sniffing as they went. They got together to converse before one of them turned to the soldiers and said, "They came this way. They must've stopped here for a few hours to rest. We can tell that the princess was hurt because we smell her blood in the area, and we found this in the bushes."

The demons handed the soldiers Kagome graduation gown, their leader took it and he was looking very closely at the garment. He noticed the blood on the gown and knew that the demons were telling him the truth. The princess was indeed hurt and they had stopped here to tend to her wounds.

The leader of the soldier looked up from the garment and asked, "Do you know in which direction they went?"

The demon nodded and pointed towards the west. The leader of the soldiers breathed a sigh of relief, 'at least they're heading in the right direction.'

"Alright let's move out and see if we can find them." The demons and soldiers continued going west as they followed the scent through the forest.

They came to a clearing and they spotted several of Inuyasha's guards on the ground, in front of them, as they rushed forward to see if they could help. When they reached them they were all alive but badly injured.

One of the Inu Youkai opened his eyes as he saw the soldiers around him. He thought that they were the enemy as he tried to get away. The slaves that were with them calmed the youkai down and told him that King Higurashi sent them. He looked up and asked, "Have you seen Prince Inuyasha?"

The slave demons looked at each other and then told them that they had no knowledge of the prince's where about. They asked what happened and the guard proceeded to tell them, "We were surrounded by the slaves of the processing facility. They demanded that Inuyasha and Kagome go with them, but Inuyasha wasn't about to let go of his mate. He told us to cause a diversion so they could escape and try to reach the Western Lands. The plan was for them to separate and head in that direction."

The demon relayed the information to the soldiers. The leader of the soldiers left several of his soldiers and one of the demon slaves behind to tend to the guards wounds while they went in search of the others.

They continued traveling through the forest and knew when Inuyasha and Miroku split up in the forest. They went after Inuyasha's scent and came to another clearing. What they found there answered all of their questions on what happened to them.

The demon slave came towards the leader of the soldier and said, "They have been captured by the slavers. There was a struggle here and we found this on the ground." The slave handed him a dart, the soldier took it and then smelled it.

He could make out the scent of medicine and he was willing to bet that they had used tranquilizers to put Inuyasha to sleep. They had been so close to the forbidden lands another five miles and they would have been safe.

The leader of the soldier turned to the slaves and said, "Can you track them to see where they went?" The slave nodded and pointed back towards the city.

The leader of the soldier made a decision. He had to go back and tell the king that his daughter has been captured. He picked 5 of his best men and sent them with the slave demons to follow their tracks. He wanted to know where they were taken.

They hurried off in the direction the wagons went as he turned the rest of his men around and headed back to King Higurashi's home. They first had to stop by and picked up all of the injured guards and take them back to the king's house to have their wounds tended to.

By the time the leader of the soldiers made it back to the kings house the sun was starting to set. He hurried inside the house to inform his highness of what has happened to his daughter.

He went to his office and knocked on the door and he quickly heard, "Come in." He opened the door and walked in to find that the king was on his feet, waiting eagerly for any news of his daughter.

The soldier swallowed hard and said, "My Lord, we followed their trail through the forest and I'm sorry to say that they have been captured. They used darts to subdue the hanyou and they have taken them away. I have the demon trackers and 5 of my best men following their tracks to see where they were taken too."

King Higurashi heart just dropped, 'they have taken my daughter and her husband. This isn't good, if his father finds out about this he might attack my kingdom looking for his son.'

The king looked at his commander and said, "The moment they find out where they have taken them to I want to know. We must prepare, the moment the boys father knows he had been captured he will be coming here to get him back. I'm afraid that if he doesn't think things through he will attack our kingdom."

The soldier understood the kings concern as he left his office to await the return of his men.

Several hours passed and the group that had followed the scent of the princess returned with the location of where they were taken too. They approached the king and said, "My Lord, we have found the location of where they have been taken. They are at the main processing facility here in town."

The kings eyes widen with what they had said, "How dare Naraku take my daughter and think that I won't fight to get her back."

The king was about to continue with his ranting and raving when one of the demon slave said, "My Lord, we have many demons approaching from the west and they are heading in this direction."

The King couldn't believe what he was hearing as they all rushed outside. What they saw made their blood run cold. There before them stood 1000 demon soldiers ready to do battle and floating in from the sky was none other than Lord Inutaisho, Lord of the Western Lands.

oOo

It had been a week since they left, that the castle had been quiet with nothing getting destroyed. A week that his heart ached, he missed his son's presence at the castle. They should be returning soon and that picked his spirit up.

He was glad that they were returning home to stay. He didn't know what he would do if they had left his castle to live elsewhere. He had never been alone at the castle before and he hated it.

Inutaisho sat in his office working on a peace treaty for one of the demon tribes in the mountains. He had gone up there once his son had left with his mate to make sure that no one else would come down from the mountain to hurt his family.

It had been a bloody battle and when he released his true form the demons submitted to his will. He hated to do that but if it kept them in line then he would do it to keep his family safe.

He was almost done with what he was working on when he remembered what day it was. The graduation ceremony was today and his son and mate should be returning home soon. This thought filled his heart. He wanted them back in the castle again, even if it was to hear his son ranting and raving about something someone had done to him.

He enjoyed watching the girl calm his son down. She had a pretty good grasp of what his temper would do. She had threatened him, on several occasions, to put a subduing necklace on him if he didn't learn to control his temper. He had backed down once he saw that she was serious about her threats.

He continued to work when he started to get a feeling in the back of his mind that something had gone terribly wrong. He could sense that something was happening to his son but he didn't know what it was.

He had the same feeling when Inuyasha didn't come back from his journey into the forest with Shippo. He knew then, like he knows now, that he had been captured. He didn't want to jump to conclusions without first having all of the facts.

King Higurashi had agreed to the union between his son and their daughter, which meant that the southern lands belonged to Inuyasha. He would have to fight to keep the peace in both their kingdoms until such time as they came into power. He knew that this wouldn't happen for a few years yet.

He continued to work and hoped that everything was all right with his son and mate. He didn't know what he would do if they were ever captured again. So with a heavy heart he retired for the night with that nagging feeling still there. He hoped that he was wrong and that soon his son and mate will be arriving home.

oOo-

Morning came and it found a very tired Inutaisho. He had not slept at all as he worried all night about his son. That nagging feeling was still there and it was getting stronger as the day progressed.

He was in his office, pacing, a habit he wished he could stop doing whenever he was in deep thought. He stopped in front of his window as he looked out over his land, wishing that he could pick up his sons scent coming home.

He came to a decision, he was going to go to the human city and see if he could find his son. The feeling was just too overwhelming to ignore.

He was about to turn away from his window when he saw a star shinning brightly in the sky. It reminded him of the star that shown brightly when his son was born. But as he looked at the star he remembered that it was in the middle of the day, 'How can there be a star out in the middle of the day?'

He continued to stare at it, as it was growing brighter. Then it occurred to him that the star was coming towards his castle. He watched in awe as it came closer. The star started to change color as it went from a blue/silver in color to a pure red and it was getting bigger as it approached.

Inutaisho opened his eyes wide when he realized what it was. It was making its way towards his castle as he quickly got out of the window to allow him to land.

oOo-

Miroku had been flying for only about 10 minutes when he spotted Lord Inutaisho castle in the distance. He flapped his wings hard as he raced through the air towards the castle.

He held Sango's sleeping form close to his chest as he made his way towards the castle. He spotted Lord Inutaisho standing by his window as he stared right at him.

Miroku pulled in his wings as he made a dive towards the castle, making sure that he kept them spread just enough to give him some control on where he was going. He descended from the sky like a bullet. It looked like a big ball of fire was heading straight for the castle and it was about to hit.

He saw as Lord Inutaisho moved out of the way before he zipped into the window, opened his wings, and landed safely within his office.

Miroku was panting hard as he transformed back into the form that everyone was accustomed to seeing, he walked over to the sofa and laid his mate upon it.

He turned with saddened eyes as he bowed deeply and said, "My Lord, Inuyasha and his mate have been captured by the slavers. They have subdued him with this." He handed Lord Inutaisho the dart that he had taken out of Sango's back.

Inutaisho looked at the dart with curiosity and then he sniffed it. He could smell the medicine on it as he called for one of his healers that knew about herbs and medicine.

The healer came into to his office and he said, "I want to know what type of medicine this is," as he handed the healer the dart in his hands.

The healer took the dart and then sniffed it, he continued to sniff until he got all of the information he needed. Then he faced his lord as he said, "This dart contains a sleeping drug. In a human, this would knock them out for about four hours. In a demon it will knock them out for at least two."

Inutaisho looked at Miroku and asked, "How many of these did my son get hit with before they finally brought him down?"

Miroku lowered his head as he said, "They used three of those before they were finally able to bring him down."

The healer heard this and said, "With Inuyasha being only a half demon, and they needing three of these darts to subdue him, he will be out for at least eight hours. This medicine works definitely on everyone and I'm willing to bet that they didn't know the right combination of drugs to use on him. The last dart had to contain a more powerful dose in order for him to be subdued."

Lord Inutaisho heard what the healer said and gave him his thanks for the information, as the healer left his office. He had to sit down, he had to think of a plan to go after his son and get him back from the slavers.

Miroku seeing that Inutaisho was deep in thought had to interrupt his mussing as he said, "My Lord, I know where they have taken them to. They took them back to the main processing facility in the human city. That's the place where I met that woman that tortured Inuyasha before."

Inutaisho looked up as his eyes flashed red at what Miroku had said, he didn't know about the torture his son had to endure. He moved so fast that it took Miroku completely by surprise as he was grabbed by the neck and pinned to the wall.

Inutaisho growled as he said, "I want to know what they did to my son when he was captured before."

Miroku eyes grew big, 'Shit! Inuyasha never told him what they did to him while he was a slave in that processing facility.' He sighed as he said through gritted teeth, "Let me go and I will tell you everything that I know."

Inutaisho released him as Miroku rubbed his neck and preceded to tell him everything Inuyasha had told him about his time in the processing facility. When he was done, Inutaisho was sitting with his head down, he was in deep thought about the information that was revealed to him.

He looked up from the ground and said; "I never knew what they had done to him when he was captured. He never told me."

Miroku looked at him with sadness in his eyes as he said, "He knew that you would take the information pretty hard so that's why he never told you. He didn't want you to go off and destroy the human city for a few that are truly evil. He has seen that the humans there take care of their slaves and they treat them with respect. Like in all societies, you have your select few that are truly evil."

'I never knew that my son had suffered so much at the hands of those humans. For him to have survived that ordeal and find a mate that he pledges his life to protect is truly amazing. I have to learn how to listen to him when he talks from now on.' He was in deep thought as he pondered what to do next.

Miroku continued to watch his lord as he was thinking then he remembered that he had a message for him from Inuyasha.

He turned to him and said, "My lord, your son gave me a message to give to you. He wanted me to come back here and let you know what happened, he said, 'tell my dad that if anything ever happens to me that I want him to take care of Kagome.' Do you know the hidden message within these words? I have never known him to call you 'dad' before."

Inutaisho looked at Miroku in disbelief, he couldn't believe what he had heard. He was in shock as he asked, "Where's Kagome? Was she captured with Inuyasha?"

Miroku took a deep breath and then he told him everything that happened to her and that she was now under a sleeping spell. He also told him about the spell that Kagome had cast around herself and Inuyasha that prevented them from getting separated.

Inutaisho had to laugh, 'leave it up to Kagome to make sure that Inuyasha is close to her. She doesn't want to turn full youkai and she is trying to protect Inuyasha in the process.'

Inutaisho looked up and saw that Miroku was staring at him with interest; he wanted to know the hidden meaning behind the word 'dad.' He took a deep breath as he started to explain.

"A long time ago when Inuyasha mother was alive she had instilled in the boy that the term 'dad' was used only when the son was to become a father. In this way there would be no confusion on who was being address when the family was gathered. Inuyasha has never called me dad for this reason." He stopped long enough to look at the expression on Miroku's face as he got up from his desk and started to leave.

Miroku seeing that he was going to leave quickly asked, "My lord, where are you going?"

Inutaisho stopped by the door and said, "I'm going to go and get my son and his mate back, if anyone gets in my way then I will destroy everything." He turned to leave and Miroku rushed forward and said, "My lord, you can't be serious about destroying the city? Inuyasha said that as long as he had Kagome with him that everything would be alright but the moment they took her from him, he will not be responsible for his actions."

Inutaisho stopped in his tracks; he knew what his son meant. If they took Kagome away from him he will turn full youkai and destroy everything in site until he found her again, even if it meant his own death. "I'm still going after my son. You can come if you wish or stay here the choice is yours." He turned and walked out of the office.

Miroku didn't know what to do. He couldn't leave his mate behind when she was defenseless. He heard a moan coming from the side as he saw his mate trying to wake up. He rushed to her side as he kneeled by her and said, "Sango, are you all right?"

Sango opened her eyes and said, "Yes, I'm fine. I want you to go with him Miroku. He's blinded by rage and if he is, he will kill a lot of innocent people. Please Miroku, talk some sense into him. I will be fine. I'll go back to our room and rest there."

Miroku smiled as he kissed her before he ran out the door following his lord. He found him outside as he was giving his orders to his commander of the army. He saw 1000 demons standing in front of him ready to do battle.

He rushed over to Inutaisho and said, "My lord, please you can't attack the human city. Not all of those humans deserve your wrath."

Inutaisho eyes flashed red as he said, "I'm very serious about attacking to get my son back."

Miroku tried to reason with him, "My lord, how do you think Kagome's parents feel right now? Their daughter has been taken from them too. If you go and attack his kingdom then you will be attacking everything Kagome and Inuyasha have worked for.

All of the girls efforts to get her people to treat demons with respect and to one day set them all free will be for nothing. Inuyasha once said that we were better than those demons that had enslaved humans all those centuries ago. Do you want those humans to see us that way?"

Inutaisho had to stop and think, 'Miroku's is right. My son has always had a soft spot for humans. I wasn't surprised in the least bit when he came home with a human for a mate. I can't attack the human kingdom to get him back. But maybe if we joined both our forces together we can make those slavers think twice about hurting our children.'

He looked at Miroku and said, "You're right, I can't go attacking the human kingdom but if we join forces with them then we can scare them into giving us our children back."

Miroku smiled, he saw the gleam in Inutaisho eyes as he saw a plan forming in them.

"Miroku, tell me where this facility is, I want to get a first hand look at the place before we do anything. If my son is in there I should be able to pin point his location." Inutaisho said with frustration in his voice.

Miroku didn't want to tell him the location of the facility in case he decided not to wait for the rest of them to show up. He knew that when it came to his son no one could stop him from protecting him.

"My Lord, why don't I come with you and show you where the facility is located. I will get someone else to show the soldiers where King Higurashi home is." He hoped that Lord Inutaisho would buy off on his idea.

Inutaisho looked at him with a raised eyebrow and said, "No, I won't be traveling on the ground. I want to get there quickly and survey the area. Once I know the layout of the place then I will meet you all at King Higurashi house."

Miroku had to admit defeat when he said he wasn't going on the ground, which meant he was traveling by air. The only way he could go with him was to change into his true form and he wasn't about to do that.

Miroku told Inutaisho what he wanted to know. The soldiers gathered around their leader, ready to move, as Miroku took the lead back toward the human city.

Inutaisho looked on, as his soldiers started moving toward the human city. He had told them not to attack the humans on their way there. He wanted for his army to travel in silence and secrecy if at all possible.

He knew this was a great show of force on his part but he had to teach the humans a lesson. Touch his family suffer his wrath.

Once the soldiers were out of site he concentrated and he lifted himself off the ground. He was flying toward the direction Miroku had given to him in hopes of reaching his son before they all suffered at his hands.

It took him only 20 minutes to get there as he descended into the forest. He wanted to make sure that he wasn't seen, as he got closer to his target.

He was in a tree observing the facility when a familiar scent caught his nose.

He saw Mike standing near a tree not too far away from him. He jumped from his perch as he landed quietly on the ground.

He approached Mike and waited for him to detect his presence.

oOo-

Mike had jumped from the rooftop and landed with a thud on the ground. He struggled to get up and move away from the area before they captured him. It pained him to know that the slavers had captured his companions. But there was nothing he could do about that now. He had to make sure he escaped as he made his way into the nearby forest.

He managed to jump into a tall tree as he moved into its high branches. He sat there trying to recover from his ordeal. He had to think, the slavers where after them and they were especially after Inuyasha. He knew that if they ever caught up to them that one of the other guards would escape to reach Lord Inutaisho.

He needed another plan, one that could help anyone coming to rescue Inuyasha. He figured that they would take them back to the processing facility, if they did manage to capture them.

He made up his mind that he was going to the processing facility and see if they would be captured. If they managed to escape then he would return home, but if they didn't he could find all of the weak points to the facility and then help in the assault. He was still sworn to protect and he was going to do it.

He slowly got up from his perch as he looked around to determine his location, once he had it he then made his way to the processing facility to wait.

When he arrived everything was quite as he found a good tree where he could see everything that was going on. He would wait at least two days to make sure that they had made it away from this place. That was more than enough time for his group to make it back towards the Western Lands.

Morning came and he started to see activity at the facility. Many slavers were hurrying to get the wagons loaded, along with the demon slaves. He knew something was up but he didn't know what. He hoped that he was wrong as he saw the slavers leave with the capture wagons heading towards the west.

Mike waited patiently on his perch in the tree, hoping that the slavers he had seen leaving here in a hurry meant nothing. The facility became quiet again as he decided to take a look around. He kept himself hidden in the tree line as he looked around the area. He noticed that the outside was protect by cameras that told the inside guards of any intruders to the area.

He paid special attention to the doors around the building. Cameras covered all of them, they had lights on the outside of each door to keep them illuminated and they could only be opened from the inside. The building was tall meaning that they couldn't jump up to the rooftops like they had done with the other buildings in the area. He was beginning to have his doubts that the building had any weak points to it.

Mike headed back to his tree to wait. He would wait until tomorrow and see if they had captured Inuyasha, before he finally headed home.

A few hours later he heard the sounds of wagons coming towards the facility. He sat up as he waited, with bated breath, for them to get closer. What he saw made his stomach turn upside down. They had captured Inuyasha and Kagome.

They had two of the five guards that protected Inuyasha when he left the graduation ceremony. He didn't see Shawn, he hoped that he was alive and heading home to tell his lord what had happened.

He watched as they unloaded his friends from the wagons, none to gently. They had picked them up and thrown them on the ground once they were out of the wagon. He saw the humans open the door to the wagon that Inuyasha was in. When they touched him a powerful barrier sent them flying out of the wagon as they landed on the ground about 20 feet away from the hanyou. He smiled knowing that the humans just got a taste of what they had done to his friends.

A female came forward and said, "Humans can't touch them, have the slaves take them inside and put them in their special cell. We will have to wait until he wakes up to separate him from the girl. Once we have her then he will bend to my will or I will kill the girl."

The male humans bowed as they told the demons to remove the hanyou from the wagon and get them in the facility. He saw a big Oushi youkai move forward and picked them up gently as he walked with them in his arms towards the facility.

He saw the regret the demon felt for Inuyasha and Kagome as he made his way inside the building. Then he had a thought, if he could get close enough to talk to one of the slave youkai then maybe they would be willing to help. He needed to know the location of this special room that the human female had spoken about. He needed to know what was so special about it.

He watched from his perch as they moved the rest of his friends into the facility. He saw all of the slaves go into the building and sighed. He would have to wait until one of the demon slaves came out to see if he could talk to one of them.

The minutes ticked by slowly as he watched from his perch to see if anyone would come out. Finally after hours of waiting he saw a couple of demons leave the building to dispose of some garbage.

He went towards the garbage bins to see if he could sneak by the cameras and talk to the youkai. He noticed that one of them was the one that had picked up Inuyasha and Kagome from the wagon and took them inside the facility.

He waited until they were right next to the big receptacle and said, "Please, don't give me away. I want to ask for your help."

Macho heard the request and knew that it must be someone after the hanyou. They continued to slowly throw away the garbage as he spoke, "We won't give you away but you must know that we can help you very little. This necklace prevents us from doing a lot of things."

Mike understood as he said, "That's fine, the only thing I want to know is where is the room they took the prince to? And what is so special about the room?"

Macho bristled at the question but answered, "They are on the 6th floor of this building in the southeast corner. Their window is the only one on that side with bars on it. The room is special because if he ever lets go of the girl then they can come in and grab her through the walls. There are hidden doors in that room that allow them to get in and out quickly."

Mike heard what they were saying and thanked them for the information. Then he said, "If you could think of anything that could get me in there to help them I would be in your debt. I will be in the forest waiting."

Macho nodded his head as they turned to leave and head back towards the building. Macho was trying to think of a plan that could help the hanyou and his mate escape that bitch Kusco. He would have to enlist the help of others to see if they could help them. It was their only chance to break free and live in freedom. So they had to help them.

Mike went back to his tree and waited for any sign that the demons from the facility were willing to help them get Inuyasha and Kagome out of that building.

The sun was slowly going down over the horizon as he thought about Lord Inutaisho. 'He's going to be mad when he finds out that they have captured his son again. Nothing is going to stop his wrath, he will come here and destroy this city in a matter of minutes if they don't hand them over.' Mike shuddered at the thought.

Mike caught a movement from inside the facility and thought that maybe the Oushi youkai was coming back out to speak to him. He jumped from the tree he was sitting in and went to the edge of the forest.

He was looking for the Oushi youkai when he caught a familiar scent and he could feel a set of eyes staring right at him. He slowly turned around to find none other than Lord Inutaisho himself with his arms crossed over his chest and he looked pissed.

Mike quickly fell to his knees and said, "My Lord, I have failed to protect your son and his mate from danger. They have been captured and taken to this facility. They are located on the 6th floor of this building on the southeast corner with the only window having bars on them."

Inutaisho saw Mike shaking as he spoke. The fear that radiated of him was enormous. He was scared that he would kill him for failing in his duty. Under normal circumstances he would've killed him, but the information he had given him was valuable. He looked down his pointed nose and said, "Get up Mike! Now tell me, how do you know where they're keeping my son and his mate."

Mike slowly stood, he was nervous at the stares he was receiving from Lord Inutaisho, he didn't know how he was taking the news of his son's capture. All he knew right then was that he wanted to know how he came upon the information he had just given him.

He swallowed hard and then proceeded to tell his lord how he got the information.

Inutaisho listened to what Mike was saying. He was surprised that he was able to get the slave demon to agree to help them. He was about to say something when he heard a noise. It was footsteps and they were getting closer to their location. They stood silently until they saw Macho stop right in front of them.

oOo

Macho had come out of the building and he was making his way quickly into the forest. He had a plan that could work to get the hanyou and the girl to safety.

He walked into the forest heading towards the scent of the demon he had spoken to earlier that day. He caught the scent of another with him but that was to be expected.

When he broke through the foliage he saw the demon he was looking for. There was another one with him as he stepped forward and stopped.

The other demon almost looked like the hanyou as he inclined his head to him in greeting. He then turned his attention to the other demon and addressed him.

"I have brought these clothes for you to wear. They're the same type of clothing that the rest of the demon slaves wear who work here at the facility. This necklace will allow you to get into the facility and the subduing spell has not been activated.

Once you're inside go down the hallway to the last door on the right and enter it. Take the stairs to the 6th floor. From there you should be able to find your friends by following your nose." When Macho was done he gave the articles of clothing to Mike as he slowly turned to walk away.

Inutaisho seeing this said, "Wait! I have to know. Why are you doing this? And why are you willing to help my son?"

At the older demons words Macho eyes grew big. 'Did he just say son? He must be the hanyou's father.' Macho turned towards him and bowed deeply as he said, "I'm sorry my Lord for not recognizing you, but I do this because I want to make amends for the way I treated your son before. I didn't treat him the way he deserved to be treated and I want to help him and the girl that's with him."

'So, he hurt my son before and now wants to make up for it.' Inutaisho eyed the demon in front of him and said, "Is the girl safe for now? Is she with my son?"

"Yes, they are both together for now, but that won't last, they want to separate them to subdue the male and if they succeeded in getting them apart, then Kusco will make sure to torture them both." He lowered his head as he finished, not knowing what to expect from the hanyou's father.

Inutaisho heard his words as he started to formulate a plan. He knew he had a way to get into the facility if he needed to. That was going to be his back up plan, as he formulated what they were going to do to get his son and his mate back from these people.

He knew it wasn't going to be easy but they had to try. He just hoped that they didn't mind too much if some of the real estate from the area got damaged but that was to be expected.

"Mike, I want you to stay here and wait. I'll be bringing back our soldiers when I return, and then I will tell you the rest of my plans. As for you." He said as he turned his attention toward the Oushi youkai, "I know that you've mistreated my son and have confessed to me about it.

You're lucky that I don't kill you for touching him. But the information you provided along with your eagerness to help, I have reconsidered and will spare your life. When I come back, I will get my son and set you all free. You may travel back to my kingdom and live in peace and safety for the rest of your life if that is what you wish."

Macho couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had spared his life and was giving him the chance to live on his land in return for helping his son escape. "I will do everything within my power to help your son and his mate escape this hellhole." He bowed deeply before heading back into the facility before he was missed.

They watched as they saw the Oushi youkai go back into the processing facility as Inutaisho turned to Mike and said, "I'm going to leave now, the army should be getting close to King Higurashi home and I want to be there when they arrive. Stay here and keep your eyes open for anything. If they move them out of this facility then I want you to follow them. We'll follow your scent to the new location and then I will get them back."

Mike saw as Lord Inutaisho lifted off the ground and headed in the direction of King Higurashi home. He breathed a sigh a relief knowing that he was still alive and that he still had a mission to perform. He went back to his tree as he jumped up to await the army that was coming to get Inuyasha and Kagome.

oOo-

Lord Inutaisho was approaching King Higurashi home when he saw his army going towards them and then stopped. He landed in right in front of them, as he was meet by Miroku and his commander.

They walked forward together as Inutaisho meet with King Higurashi. He inclined his head to him and said, "I have come to get my son back." He saw the fear in the king's eyes at his declaration.

"You don't have to worry I will not attack your kingdom. My only wish is to get my son and his mate and go home. Now if they want to fight then I'm more than willing to accommodate them."

Lord Inutaisho looked on with interest as he saw a big sigh of relief when he said he wouldn't attack their kingdom. But saw the apprehension on their faces when he said that he was still willing to fight the slavers to get his son back.

King Higurashi looked at the demon standing in front of him he knew that he was serious about attacking the people that had his son. But he had to keep his kingdom safe.

He walked up to him and said, "I understand your concerns but they have my daughter too and I want her back safely."

Inutaisho looked at him and sigh, "We both want our children back safely how about we join forces and combine our strength toward our common enemy. If anything we can scare the hell out of them and make them release our children.

I have a plan that, if you are willing to go along with it, we will both get what we want and more."

King Higurashi was intrigued to say the least he wanted to hear his plan for getting their children back. "Well, this is very interesting, please come with me so we can discuss your plan and see what we will need to make this plan work."

Lord Inutaisho agreed as he followed King Higurashi into his house to discuss his plan on getting their children back. The military commanders from both sides followed them along with Miroku.

oOo-

Kusco followed as they brought in the hanyou and the girl into the processing facility. She wanted to make sure that they were put in the correct cell. With everything that had been going wrong so far, she didn't want to leave anything to chance.

She watched as Macho placed them on the cold hard floor as he turned and walked back out of the cell, she then locked the cell door herself and took the keys with her. She didn't want anyone letting them out so they could escape.

She had waited a long time to have the hanyou and she was bound and determined not to let him go anywhere. She left the cell going towards Naraku office.

oOo-

Naraku was in his office contemplating his life. He had informed his business partners that they had captured the hanyou and the girl as he was getting the demands ready to be sent to King Higurashi.

They were all happy that he had succeeded in his task and told him not to blow the delivery of the ransom note, because if anything went wrong he was going to pay for it with his life.

Naraku slowly rocked back and forth in his chair as he continued to think, 'I will have them deliver the ransom note as soon as possible, that way we can get all of the pleasantries out of the way.

Once they have met our demands, I will then fake the death of the hanyou and the girl. The amount of money that has been offered for the girl was astounding. I could make more money by selling good-looking women to these people than selling youkai slaves.

I will have to explore this new line of business after I take care of the problem at hand. With the hanyou and the girl here I have to make sure I can secure a good deal for all of us. I have to make sure that our business is protected from now on and that no one will be able to rescind the order once given.

When the demon's find out what we have done to their prince there will be tension between the demons and the humans again. The demons will think that the humans had killed the son of the Western Lands and come out to attack.

We could move in quickly and capture them before anyone knew what was happening. We will have fresh new blood for our breeding centers and with their strong genes they will produce good strong slaves to be sold to the highest bidder.

Oh, what I wouldn't give to have the Lord of the Western Lands in the breeding center producing slaves. His off springs would be a strong workforce and I could sell them at an incredible price. I could make millions.'

Naraku continued to ponder his good luck when he heard a soft knock on his door. He turned his chair toward the door and said, "Come in."

Kusco entered his office and the look on her face wasn't a good one.

Naraku knitted his eyebrow together as he continued to look at her. When Kusco reached his desk she said in a very pissed off voice, "The hanyou refuses to let go of the girl. There's a barrier that only allows demons to touch them. When humans try to grab them we get thrown back about 15 feet and land on our backs.

Unless we can get them apart we won't be able to subdue the hanyou for too long once he awakens."

Naraku watched Kusco while she spoke. She started to turn red from the anger she was feeling towards the hanyou and the girl. Naraku smiled and said, "Well, this is a new twist to our plan," he bowed his head in deep thought, "but I think I may have something that might help us to get them apart."

He reached into his desk draw and pulled out several small weapons and put them on his desk for Kusco to see. She looked at them with curiosity as she said, "What are those?"

Naraku just smiled and said, "These are stun guns. I got them a while back in case we needed them for the more stubborn youkai. All you have to do is put this up against his body and pull the trigger. The voltage should be enough to make him release the girl from his grasp. If he fights just continue to hold it on him until he releases the girl. His muscles will quit working after a while."

Kusco grabbed the gun in her hands as she rolled it over her fingers. She pulled the trigger and smiled as she saw the electricity go from one electrode to the other.

She looked at Naraku and said, "I think this will do the trick. I will go and get some men together so we can get them separated. We will have to wait until he wakes up or we will never be able to get near him. But this should be enough to take her away from him."

Naraku smiled and agreed to her plan as he said, "I will send our demands to King Higurashi. I'm sure he is dying to hear from us."

Kusco laughed as she left Naraku's office, he turned his chair back toward his window and started to think about all the money he was going to make for the two he had in his procession.

oOo

Oh my, Kusco now has a plan to get Inuyasha and Kagome apart from each other. Will they succeed? Or will their fathers arrive in time to stop them from hurting their children?

You will have to wait to find out.

Someone asked me if Chapter 16 was the last Lemon for this story does it mean that I'm done writing it yet. The answer is no, I'm not done writing the story yet. Chapter 16 happens to be the last chapter that I put a lemon in. I had planned not to write any more lemons for this story but I received a couple of reviews that say they want at least one more lemon. I still haven't decided on whether I will put another one in it or not. You all will have to wait to see if I do.

Remember to review and tell me what you think.

Until the next time!

Ja ne!


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Inuyasha started to slowly wake up from his ordeal. His mind was a foggy mess as he tried to think about what had happened to him.

He remembered the pain in his leg as he was trying to make it into the forbidden lands. He knew that it was something that would subdue him and he had been right. From the way he was feeling he guessed that the dart contained something that made him sleep.

He was lying on the cold hard ground staying very still as he was picking up the heartbeat from the guards outside his cell doors. He knew he had been captured and brought back to the processing facility.

The memories of that place started to come back into his mind as he tried not to think about it. He needed to keep his mind focus on what he had to do. He had to protect Kagome and he had to escape this hellhole.

He felt that his mate was still in his arms as he breathed a sigh of relief. He had thought that maybe they had taken her away from him. But his fears were put to rest as he felt his mate's gentle hot breath hitting him on his chest. She was still in his arms asleep.

He continued to wait until he got some more movements back into his body. The drug they had used on him wasn't allowing his muscles to work at the moment. He was slowly getting his strength back when he heard his guards leaving the area.

His ears twitched from side to side as it followed the sound of the retreating guards. Inuyasha was now free to open his eyes and move around.

He slowly sat up bringing Kagome with him as he did. He was in a cell, like the one he had when he was in this facility before. He kept his arms around his mate as he made his way slowly toward one of the corners of the room.

He braced his back against the wall as he placed his mate upon his lap and cradled her in his arms once again.

In some distant part of his mind he remembered that wench saying that they had placed Kagome in a sleeping spell and that she couldn't wakeup until they released her. 'Well they don't know my mate very well yet.' He thought with a smirk as he leaned down and said in her ear, "Kagome, you need to hurry and break the spell. I'm afraid that they will find a way to separate us and I need your help to prevent this from happening. I will never let you go willingly but they may have found a new method to get us apart."

He heard Kagome groan into his chest as he leaned his head down and breathed in her scent. Her scent kept his youkai blood in line. He didn't want to turn full youkai like he did the last time to look for his mate.

He closed his eyes as he waited for her to awaken.

Kagome had heard everything that Inuyasha had said to her. She was trying with all her strength but she was still unable to break the spell. She managed to get her mouth and tongue to work as she whispered, "Sword."

Inuyasha ears twitched as he heard his mate's request. She was trying to break the spell but it was proving to be difficult. She wanted her sword so she could have more power.

He slowly brought one of her arms from around his waist and placed it on the tip of the sword. He saw it pulsate as it filled Kagome with the needed energy to break the spell.

Kagome felt the serge of power consume her body. She finally had enough strength to break the spell that was holding her.

It was a powerful spell. She had never encountered this type of a spell before and hoped never to encounter something like this again. It took everything she had to break it as she opened her eyes and stared at his beautiful golden ones.

She smiled at her mate as he brought her closer to him and she heard him whisper, "You need to rest Koishii, I will protect you while you sleep."

Kagome nodded her agreement as she dozed off in his arms to regain her strength.

oOo-

The slavers had come back to find that Inuyasha was awake and he had moved from the floor into a sitting position in a corner of the room. They watched with interest as he held the girl tight in his embrace.

One of the slavers went back to tell Kusco that he was awake and that he was still weak. If they wanted to get the girl away from the hanyou they would have to do it now that he was weak and couldn't defend her.

The slaver was running towards Naraku office where he knew Kusco was going to, when he met up with her in the hallways. He quickly told her that the hanyou was awake as Kusco smiled one of her most evil smiles. "I want you to go back and stay with the other guard. I will be arriving shortly with some help."

The slaver acknowledged her command and left to go back to his guard duty.

Kusco quickly went to get some more guards. She wanted to move the hanyou and the girl to the training room. She had a plan and it was going to work once they got the hanyou into the room. Today was the day that she would kill that bitch and have the hanyou all to herself. She would be able to do whatever she wanted to do to him without that bitch standing in her way.

oOo-

Inuyasha picked up the stench of that wench coming towards him. He raised his head to find that Kusco was standing in front of the cell door with five demons. He held Kagome closer to him as he slowly got up with her in his arms.

Kagome noticed that he was moving and gently asked in a very low voice, "Who's there Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha was growling as he replied so only she could hear, "That wench is back and she has company. This is going to get ugly. I need you to pretend like your still knocked out and wait for the right moment to attack."

Kagome understood his orders as she closed her eyes and listened to what was about to happen.

The five demons entered the cell along with Kusco as Inuyasha looked at her with hatred in his eyes. Kusco stepped forward and said, "You are to come with us to another holding cell."

Inuyasha eyed her with curiosity and said, "Why should I go with you? I think this cell is just perfect for me and my mate."

Kusco looked at him as he held his mate closer to him and she said, "You will come with us or we will take you by force. I know that I can't touch you but I know for a fact that these demons can and they won't get hurt by the barrier that is protecting you two."

Kusco looked at her slaves and signaled for them to step forward.

Inuyasha flexed his claws and bared his fangs at the demons. He saw the regret in their eyes as they came towards him. He knew that they didn't want to hurt him or his mate but they had no choice. They were being control by the necklace and they had to obey their master or get punished.

Inuyasha couldn't attack them. He held Kagome closer to him as he bowed his head in defeat and followed the demons out of his cell, walking down the hallway. They formed a tight circle around him as they lead him down this one dark hallway that looked familiar to him.

They turned into this one room and when he saw the pillar in the middle of the room with no windows, he knew where he was.

Inuyasha was grabbed from both sides as they held him still, while Kagome remained in his arms. The humans came up behind him and used the stun guns. They hit Inuyasha on his back and he cried out in pure agony. He tried to keep his hold on his mate but his muscles were beginning to fail.

At the same time two demons came forward and grabbed Kagome around the waist as they tried to pull her away from Inuyasha.

Kagome instantly came awake as she held on to Inuyasha with all her strength. The slavers seeing that the girl wasn't about to let go of the hanyou took the stun gun and zapped her arms to make her let go.

Kagome screamed in pain as they finally succeeded in getting the two apart.

Now that they were no longer together Kusco approached the stunned hanyou as he was fighting the two youkai to release him. The affects of the drugs they used on him left him weak not being able to fight against those who held him. The hanyou saw what Kusco had in her hand, as he yelled, "NO!" Struggling frantically in his capturer's grasp.

Kusco reached him and placed the necklace around his neck while her demon slaves were holding him. Once it was around his neck it activated.

Inuyasha immediately felt when his demonic powers were taken away from him. With his powers gone the full force of what they had done to his body was immediately felt. The pain was almost too much for him bear to put up a fight as he fell limp in the guards hands. He looked up as he saw his mate crying. He was now unable to protect her.

With the necklace securely around his neck Kusco smiled wide and said, "SIT!"

Inuyasha immediately fell to the ground face first, as the demons that were holding onto him let go when their master said the word that would activate the necklace.

The subduing necklace had him pinned to the ground as he was trying to get back up on his feet. He was winning the fight as his demon side decided to come out and he started to change.

Kusco was ready for him this time; she pulled a syringe out of her pocket and injected him with a mild sedative. It would keep him calm for the time being and sent him crashing to the ground once again. She then turned her attention towards Kagome.

Kagome was struggling against the youkai that were holding onto her. She was still weak from breaking the spell that she couldn't use her miko powers. She saw when Kusco put a subduing necklace on her mate and she yelled, "INUYASHA!"

Kagome saw everything that the bitch did to her Inuyasha as she continued to yell and try to break free from their hold on her. She saw Kusco try to touch her mate as she screamed, "Kusco! Leave him alone! He has done nothing to you. Why can't you just leave him alone?" Her blue eyes were burning with rage as she looked at Kusco.

Kusco turned and walked over to Kagome. She stopped right in front of her as she took her hand and slapped her, not just once but twice as Kagome's head turned in the direction of each slap.

Kagome looked at her with revulsion, as the blood was coming out of the corner of her mouth. Her anger was slowly starting to grow. She knew that if she gave into her anger that her demon side will come out. But at this point she really didn't care, she just wanted to kill the bitch that was in front of her, as she continued to struggle against her captors.

Kusco saw the expression on the girls face and smiled, 'I'm going to enjoy torturing this one.' She stepped a little closer to Kagome and said, "I'll do whatever the fuck I want to do to him because he belongs to me now and there's nothing you can do about it. You should've listened to me back then when I told you that you really didn't want to buy him. Now you have to pay the price for your stupidity."

Kusco didn't notice that Kagome had practically put all of her weight on her arms making the demons on each side of her hold her body upright. Kusco was close enough that when she was finished speaking Kagome had taken her right foot and swung it up in an arc to hit Kusco on the right side of her face. Kagome moved so fast that it was just a blur. She had knocked her to the ground as Kagome stood her ground and smirked.

Kagome looked down to meet her green eyes as she said, "Inuyasha belongs to me, he's my mate not yours. Touch him again and you will feel my wrath. I know what you did to him before, so I owe you for mistreating him."

Kusco got up as she stared daggers at the girl. She didn't care who she was she was going to teach her a lesson. Kusco threw her head back as she started to laugh then she told her guards to place the chains on the girl and the hanyou.

The youkai moved with speed to carry out her bidding. They knew what was coming as they finished putting the chains on the hanyou and the girl. They brought them into the training room and that's when Kagome saw the rest of their bodyguards, they were all there, they had been beaten severely.

They were bleeding from all the cuts they had all over their body. They were chained against the wall hanging by their wrist. Kagome turned towards Kusco and yelled, "Why did you have to do that to them! They've never hurt you!"

Kusco heard the girls outburst and simply said, "Because, I enjoy causing pain to others." She turned towards the demons that were holding Kagome and said, "Chain her to the pillar."

Inuyasha heard Kusco orders and he was struggling, frantically, to get free to help Kagome. He knew what was coming, as he yelled, "NO! KAGOME!"

Kagome was struggling against the demons that were holding her. She was still too weak from breaking the sleeping spell to protect her self as they dragged her toward the pillar. They raised her wrist until the rings on her chain were put on the hook up above her head. She stood there on the tip of her toes, now knowing what it felt like when they had done this to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha was fighting against his guards as he was beginning to overcome the drug that Kusco had given him. But for some reason his youkai powers was totally gone, it left him feeling weaker than before. Then he realized that they had placed a more powerful necklace around his neck, that took away all of his demonic powers and he was left defenseless.

They dragged him over to a wall where they chain his hands to it. He was standing there with his arms spread out on either side of him, with his back against the wall. He looked on in pure horror at what Kusco was going to do to his mate. He tried to break his bonds but they were too strong for him to break.

The inu youkai noticed that they had captured Inuyasha and his mate as they started to wake up from their drunken stupor. They were yelling at Kusco to let them go as they were starting to struggle against their chains.

Kusco was deeply touched at all the yelling that was going on as she picked up her whip and started to beat them all, to get them to quite down.

Inuyasha was the most vocal as he yelled, "Kusco! Leave my mate alone! She has done nothing to deserve this."

Kusco looked at him and said, "Are you willing to submit to me and do anything I ask of you?"

Inuyasha looked at her, he hated the wench that was in front of him, as he said, "NO! I can't do what you want me to do. I'm mated for life and that's how it is. Now!... Let!… Her!… Go!"

Kusco looked at him with amusement in her eyes as she said, "Too bad, I'm going to enjoy this."

Inuyasha continued to yell at Kusco as she quickly turned on her heals and sent the whip crashing into his chest. The white Juban he was wearing turned a bright red as his skin split when the whip made contact with his body. She continued to whip him until he fell silent. He was breathing hard but he wouldn't yell out in pain, he wouldn't give her the satisfaction.

Kusco smirked as she saw him slump down on his chains and then she turned her attention towards the girl as she got her knife out.

Kagome was facing the pillar as Kusco approached with a knife in her hands. She made sure that Kagome saw the knife as she waved it in front of her eyes.

Kagome watched as Kusco took her knife and slowly started to cut away the Haori that she was wearing. Kusco made sure that the knife would cut Kagome on occasion as she ripped the shirt apart. By the time she finished Kagome had cuts all over her arms and back. But she never once yelled out in pain.

Kusco eyed the girl with curiosity, not once did she ever cry out in pain. This got her even angrier because she enjoyed having her victims cry out in pain. The scream was like an aphrodisiac for her and when the girl didn't say anything it made her that much more determined to torture her.

Inuyasha's wrists were starting to bleed as he continued to struggle against his bonds. He looked on in pure horror as he was picking up the scent of Kagome's blood. His blood was slowly starting to boil as Kusco continued to torture his mate.

'Mate' that word continued to ring in his head as his demon blood was slowly taking over his body. His anger was continuing to grow, as he watched, unable to do anything.

Kagome had to endure what that bitch was doing to her. She was not about to scream out in pain to give her any satisfaction. She felt the tip of the blade cut her each and every time when Kusco let the blade slip to cut her skin. Her blood continued to go down her arms as she cut the haori away from her body.

Kagome had to concentrate, she needed to heal her wounds but more importantly she needed to heal Inuyasha's wounds. She knew he was hurting as she saw him struggling out of the corner of her eye. 'Now I know how Inuyasha felt when he was being punished. I have no idea how he was able to survive while he was slowly being tortured.' A lone tear fell down the side of her cheek as she watched her mate struggle against the chains that were holding him.

Kagome's anger continued to grow as Kusco continued with her punishment. She got her whip out next as she flexed her wrist to hear the loud snap of the weapon.

Kagome looked on in pure horror when she saw Kusco coming towards her. She shuttered knowing what was coming next as she braced herself for the impact. Kusco took her whip and snapped it as it landed on Kagome's back.

Kagome gripped her chains as she felt the whip hit her back. She was breathing heavily as her body shook from the impact. The pain was excruciating as she felt her skin split under her assault. She closed her eyes as she continued to endure the torture and for the first time she realized what her mate had gone through.

Kagome never cried out as Kusco continued to whip her. Kagome was getting angrier by the minute. She now knew how much Inuyasha suffered when he was here in this facility. She was going to bring this place down if it was the last thing she did.

Kusco smiled when she finally stopped. She looked at her handy work and was proud at what she saw. The girl's back was raw. She was bleeding heavily as her tank top was almost in rags. She turned to look at the hanyou who had his head down.

She walked over to him and grabbed a hand full of his hair as she pulled his head up. When she looked into his eyes she saw the hatred he felt for her. She then said, "Are you ready to submit to me and do everything I say no matter what."

Inuyasha started to growl deep and menacing as he turned his eyes to his mate. She was hanging from her wrist as he saw the blood coming from her back. His heart ached to see his mate like that as Kusco asked him the same question again. When he didn't respond she grabbed his ear as she started to dig her nails into them.

Inuyasha screamed in pain. He didn't want to submit to this wench but if he didn't Kagome would suffer the consequences. He continued to feel the pain she was inflicting on his ear as he felt the blood running down the side of his face.

Kusco asked again, "Will you submit to me and do everything I ask or would you rather I hurt the girl some more."

Inuyasha was breathing heavily from the attack on his ear, he was about to speak when Kagome answered for him, "I can tell you the answer to that question. The answer is 'No.' He belongs to me and I will never let you take away my mate."

Kusco let go of the hanyou's ear as she turned towards the girl in chains and said, "Well, if he won't submit to me then I need to kill you. That way, there won't be any problems with him obeying my orders."

Kagome started to laugh as she said, "What makes you think that you can kill me, you bitch. I may look weak but I'm a hell of a lot stronger than you think."

Kusco eyed the girl then she said, "We will see about that!"

Kagome had her head down the entire time she was speaking to Kusco. So Kusco never noticed that her eyes had gone completely blood red as Kagome transformed into her demon form. Her anger had been great that her sword was no longer able to suppress the demon blood that flowed through her veins. When Kusco grabbed her mate's ears and hurt them that was the last straw, those where her ears and she will pay dearly for hurting them.

Kusco walked back over to the girl as she prepared to whip her for her out burst. She pulled back her arm and was about to let go when someone said, "Kusco! What do you think you're doing?"

oOo-

Naraku was in his office going over the numbers for the sale of the girl. He wanted to make sure that he was well compensated for all of his troubles. It had been an expensive venture up to this point to get the hanyou and the girl to the facility. Now that he had them he had to make sure he kept them alive until the negotiations were done with King Higurashi.

He looked up at his clock and noticed the time. His eyebrows came together as a thought crossed his mind, 'the man I sent with the ransom note hasn't returned yet. It has been over two hours. He should've been there and back in less than an hours time.'

Naraku got up from his desk as he walked to the doors. When he opened it he noticed that the facility was deathly quite. In all the time he had owned the facility it has never been this quite before. It sent a chill up his spine.

He then remembered that Kusco had been gone for a long time too. He was beginning to get worried that she might be putting his investments in jeopardy and decided to see what she was doing first, before he went and inquired about his errand boy.

Naraku went to the 6th floor because he knew that's where the hanyou and the girl were being kept. He walked down the hallway going toward the cell that held them. As he was approaching he heard someone talking but couldn't make out what they were saying. It was coming from the training room so he went in that direction to investigate.

When he reached the training room he opened the door to find Kusco drawing back her arm with the whip getting ready to hit the girl as he walked in and said, "Kusco! What do you think you're doing?"

Kusco turned in time to see Naraku walking towards her. She got a disgusted look on her face as he came closer. She knew she was in big trouble by the look on his face.

Naraku walked right up to Kusco as he eyed the girl that was chained to the pillar. The blood was splattered everywhere from where the girl had been beaten. Her skin was all cut up from all of the knives and whip marks on her body.

Naraku became enraged and said, "Kusco! How can we even get our demands if you kill them. They're worthless to us dead. They have to remain unharmed in case the king asked to see them. You have just ruined everything that we have put into place for the last 3 months! And now I can't even sell her looking like that. Do you have any idea how much money you just cost me?"

Kusco became enraged as she looked at Naraku and said, "I don't care about your plans. I want the hanyou and as long as she's alive he will never submit to me. I will make sure that she dies by my hand!" She then turned and raised her hand, as she was about to hit Kagome with the whip.

Naraku reached out and grabbed her arm as he said, "Are you crazy! You can't kill her yet. We still need her alive."

They were about to continue arguing over the girl when they heard the sound of chains breaking and hitting the floor. They both looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the chains had been broken completely off the girl's wrist, neck, and ankles.

They saw Kagome lower her arms as she slowly turned around to face them. She had her head down so they couldn't see her features, her eyes were covered by her bangs, as a deep and menacing growl started to come from her. They both backed away as the girl started to speak.

"I'm not a slave to be brought and sold like a piece of furniture. I'm a breathing living being and I have the right to live just like everyone else. I can no longer permit you to torture the demons the way you have been doing. I will bring down this facility and then I will take great pleasure in killing the both of you." At that moment Kagome raised her head and revealed her eyes to the enemy.

Kusco and Naraku were shocked to see that the girl's eyes had turned blood red. They saw the fangs that she was barring as she flexed her claws where human fingers nails used to be. She had turned into a demon and they didn't know how this could've happen.

Kagome eyed Kusco as she flexed her claws at her, "I told you that Inuyasha belongs to me and I'm not letting a bitch like you take him away. I'm going to show you the hurt that you have caused these youkai before I send you to meet your maker."

Kagome had enough of the two in front of her. They had hurt her the way they had hurt her mate. She had promised him that she would never let them enslave him again and even more that she wouldn't let Kusco get a hold of her mate. She was bound and determined to keep her promise as she made her way towards them flexing her claws to show them she meant business.

Kusco saw her coming as she yelled for her slaves to take the girl down. The slaves had no choice as they encircle the girl to prevent her from advancing.

Kagome stopped her approach as she started to growl fiercely at the demons that surrounded her. She flexed her claws, as she got ready to attack.

Kusco walked up behind Macho and stood there. She was pulling a necklace out of her pocket. 'If she has turned into a demon then I should be able to subdue her like a demon.' Kusco got ready as she threw the necklace towards Kagome and it landed around her neck.

Kusco smiled as she said, "SIT!" The necklace around Kagome's neck started to glow as it was trying to pull her down to the floor.

Kagome was fighting the affects of the necklace as she went down to her hands and knees. Kusco seeing this ordered her demons slaves to grab her.

The demons started to go towards Kagome when they heard, "DON'T TOUCH MY MATE!"

oOo-

Inuyasha had been steadily listening to Kusco. She was bound and determined to make him to submit to her. But he would never be a slave to her or anyone. He saw as Kusco went towards his mate, as she gripped the handle of the whip in her right hand even tighter.

His blood was beginning to boil. He smelled his mate's scent and knew that she had turned full youkai. He had seen her break her bonds as she slowly turned around and started walking towards Kusco.

He watched everything in front of him as his anger grew. When he saw his mate go down he lost it. His demonic powers grew as he transformed into his full youkai form. His eyes turned blood red, his fangs grew longer, and his claws grew to twice the length, as two purple stripes appeared on each side of his cheeks.

He broke the bonds that were holding him and when he heard Kusco tell her slaves to grab his mate he yelled. "DON'T TOUCH MY MATE!"

The slaves turned around to see that the hanyou had transformed into a full youkai. He leaped in front of his mate protecting her from the advancing youkai. He flexed his claws at them preventing them from getting any closer to the girl.

Kusco had backed away. She had seen him do this before. Fear started to take over her body as she saw the hanyou; he looked more menacing than before. She didn't like the idea of dealing with the hanyou when he was in his full youkai form. She saw that he still had the necklace around his neck as she smiled and said, "SIT!"

Inuyasha's necklace lit up but he was still standing, he was fighting the affects of the necklace as it was trying to pull him down. He reached up and pulled on the necklace around his neck as he broke it.

Kusco eyes grew big when she saw him do this. She ordered the slaves to take them as Inuyasha flexed his claws ready to attack.

The demons looked at each other. Clearly they didn't want to attack the hanyou when he was transformed. When they hesitated Kusco yelled, "Obey!" as the necklace sent a wave of pain throughout their bodies.

The slaves howled in pain as they turned toward the hanyou and walked towards him. They had no choice, they had to do as they were told or suffer the consequences. They were about to grab Inuyasha when something happened.

oOo-

Kagome had been on her knees fighting the affects of the necklace. She was channeling almost everything she had as she started to glow pink. She concentrated her powers on the necklace, not just on hers but on every single necklace in the facility.

Her powers continued to grow and when she had enough energy she released it throughout the area. Every necklace in the processing facility broke as she broke the spell that the necklace held.

The slave demon's that where about to grab Inuyasha stopped as they felt the necklace break and fall to the ground. They felt their demonic powers being returned to them as they stood there in complete and utter shock.

Kagome was panting on the ground as she slowly stood up and faced Kusco. Her eyes were still blood red and she was sweating from the effort of breaking all of the necklaces.

"I have broken all of the subduing necklaces in the facility. You no longer have control over the demons here. I will take care of you so that you won't ever hurt us again. Once I'm done with you I will bring this facility down." Said Kagome as she growled and flexed her claws at her enemy.

Naraku had been watching everything the whole time. 'That girl has tremendous powers. She must be a miko in order for her to do all of these things. We have to escape and think of something else that we can do to get what we want. As long as she is like this we will never be able to subdue her.'

Naraku reached over and grabbed Kusco's arm as he pulled her out the door with him and locked it. 'It won't give us much time to get away from here but it will buy us a few minutes.'

"Kusco, we have to get away from here. That girl is a miko and as long as she is transformed like that you can never subdue her. We have to retreat, regroup, and think of a new plan to get us what we want." Kusco nodded her head in understanding as they started to run down the hallway to get away from the enraged hanyou. When she looked over her shoulder she saw the door getting blown apart.

oOo

Kagome had been watching as the humans backed away and ran out the door. She was surrounded by the demons with no way to get there. She was getting angry as she leapt into the air and landed on the other side of the demon slaves. She ran towards the door and threw all of her body weight against it, as she broke through it. The door shattered into a million pieces from the force of her impact.

Kagome then turned and followed their scents down the hallway looking for the humans that were running away from her.

Inuyasha had about enough of the demons in front of him, he was about to lash out at them when they all backed away. He heard a crash as he turned toward the noise, he saw his mate running out the door going after the humans. He took off after her leaving behind a very relieved group of demons.

The captured guards had seen Inuyasha running after his mate. They yelled, "Release us! We must free all of the slaves in this facility and leave. Kagome and Inuyasha will bring this facility down killing anyone left inside the building. They are in their full youkai form and they don't know what they're doing. We must hurry if you want to be freed!"

At the last word that the inu youkai said snapped the demon slaves out of their stupor. They rushed forward and broke the chains that held the guards against the wall. They all were turning to leave the training room when they met with one of their own and filled him in on what was going on. He told them what to do as they left the training room heading in all directions as they began releasing all of the slaves in the facility.

They met with some resistance as they were releasing the slaves from their cells. Human guards were everywhere as they tried to stop the escape. Inuyasha's guards took care of the humans, not wanting the slaves to take care of them for fear that they might kill them. The guards then escorted the escaping demons to the lower levels.

When they had succeeded in their mission they all meet down in the lower levels. They took a head count to make sure that everyone was accounted for. Satisfied that everyone was there they all rushed outside to freedom following the guards from the Western Lands.

As they ran out the door what they saw made them all stop in their tracks as thousands of soldiers came out of the forest. There were human and demon soldiers there. A group of demons soldiers surrounded the group of demon slaves that escaped from the facility, to keep them from attacking the human soldiers in front of them.

Then out of the forest came none other than Lord Inutaisho and King Higurashi as they walked towards them.

oOo-

King Higurashi and Lord Inutaisho had been sitting around the table discussing the plan to attack the facility. When they had completed all of the necessary planning King Higurashi looked up and said, "I think this plan will work out just fine. The only thing I worry about is getting Kagome and Inuyasha out of that facility unharmed."

"Yes, I have the same concerns as you. I know that my son is very stubborn and will not give up Kagome without a fight. But if they do manage to separate them then we will be in for a fight. Inuyasha will turn into his full youkai form and he will look for Kagome. No one will be safe if that happens." Said Inutaisho as he sighed and rubbed his tired eyes.

King Higurashi had no idea what he was talking about as he asked, "What do you mean by him turning into his full demon form? Isn't he a demon already?"

Lord Inutaisho laughed, as he said, "No, he's a hanyou half human, half demon, if he loses control and gets mad he can change into a full youkai. He has done this before when he wanted to be with your daughter and I refused to let him come to her. He will protect her at all cost, even if it means his death.

Kagome also has this ability now that she has some of my son's blood in her. She will be harder to subdue for she is powerful in this form.

If they do turn into full youkai then I'm the only one that can subdue them. They are both very powerful and it requires a great deal of strength to bring them down."

King Higurashi had no idea that this could happen; he was about to say something else when they heard a commotion outside of the office. They both stood and went towards the door as they opened it to see what was going on.

When they stepped outside the door they saw Inutaisho men holding a human that was struggling in their grasp. Inutaisho stepped forward and growled, "What is going on? Why do you have a human subdued?"

The guards quickly bowed as they held on to the human and said, "My Lord, we have caught this human sneaking into the house. He claims to have a message for King Higurashi. We have picked up faint traces of Kagome and Inuyasha's scent on him."

Lord Inutaisho eyes grew wide at what he was told. He stepped forward and said, "If you have any information about my son then I suggest that you start talking. I'm not in a forgiving mood right now and it might mean your death unless you comply."

The human being held by the demons shook in fear. He reached into his shirt and pulled out a letter that was addressed to King Higurashi and he handed it to the demon in front of him.

Lord Inutaisho took the letter from the human and gave it to the king. He then turned to his men and said, "Take him to a secure area and don't let him out of your sight. If he escapes it will be your heads." The guards bowed in fear as they took the human back outside to put him in a safe place.

Lord Inutaisho turned around to face the king. He was reading the letter and when he looked up he had a pale look on his face. Inutaisho saw this and said, "What's wrong? What do they want?"

King Higurashi gave the letter to Lord Inutaisho for him to read. He took it as he read their demands:

We have your daughter and her hanyou slave. If you want your daughter back alive and unharmed these are our demands.

_1. You will declare slavery to be a legal business now and forever. With no way any future king or queen will be able to rescind this law. _

_2. You will open up the forbidden lands for our slave capturers to hunt in. No longer will there be a law that will punish those who hunt for demons._

_3. You will issue an order that will allow us to take any demons without a subduing necklace as slaves. _

_We will free your daughter once these demands are met as for the hanyou he will remain in our facility as a slave for the rest of his life. _

_If you refuse our demands we will not hesitate to kill your daughter and her hanyou slave. You have until morning to meet our demands or you will never see your daughter alive._

Inutaisho looked up from the letter he was reading. He was clearly pissed that anyone will make a threat against his family. His son was everything to him and he was not about to let him be enslaved. "We must move our plan of attack for tonight. If we don't then we will never see our children again. Even if you met their demands they will not release your daughter."

King Higurashi looked up from the ground and said, "Your right, they will never give us back our children if I give into their demands. I can't let them take your son as a slave when he has done nothing but protect and love my daughter. We must get everything ready so we can attack."

King Higurashi turned to his commander and said, "Get our forces ready we move in 15 minutes to the processing facility to get my daughter back."

The commander bowed as he left to get the soldiers ready for the attack.

Inutaisho bowed slightly as he left to gather his forces. There was to be an all out attack against the facility to get his son back. But something in the back of his mind kept on bugging him as he went toward his army. Something was going on and he knew it wasn't good.

He walked outside toward his men as he told his commander to get ready for the attack on the facility. The commander hurried off to get his men ready to move as Miroku approached Inutaisho.

He looked at him with concern and said, "My lord, is there anything wrong? You seem upset about something."

Inutaisho looked up from the ground, deep in thought, "there is something going on at the processing facility. I can feel that something has happened to my son but I don't know what. When we get there I will decide the best course of action to take. If those people hurt my son or his mate they will feel my wrath."

Miroku understood what he was saying. His son meant everything to him and now that he was mated so did the girl. He will give his own life to protect them.

The men were ready to move as they left King Higurashi home to go to the processing facility.

oOo-

They arrived during the cover of darkness. Lord Inutaisho was looking for Mike as he walked closer to the facility. He spotted him near the same tree he had found him earlier that night where the demon slave agreed to help them get his son back.

Mike heard a noise behind him as he quickly turned around to see who was coming towards him. He spotted Lord Inutaisho and quickly bowed low to the ground as he greeted him.

Inutaisho stopped in front of him and said, "Have they moved them from this facility? Or are they still inside?"

"They're still in there but something is going on. The place is deathly quite. I've been here for two days and this is the first time that I haven't heard anything coming from the inside of the facility. Usually I can hear the cry of a youkai or their moans of pain but tonight that seems to be gone." Mike said as he looked at his lord with worry in his eyes.

"Yes, I feel it too. Something is going on inside and we need to find out what it is. I want you to go into the facility and see what you can find out. I want to know what they're doing to my son and his mate as soon as possible. We will hold off the attack until you have returned." Inutaisho looked at Mike to see if he had understood his instructions.

Mike bowed and nodded that he understood and quickly got dressed in the clothes that were provided by the demon slave. He made his way toward the door as he heard a soft click that meant it was unlocked, as he pulled it open and slipped inside.

He had been right, there was no sound coming from the facility as he made his way down the hallway. He found the door that the Oushi youkai told him about as he quickly made it up to the 6th floor of the building.

He slowly opened the door to see what was going on. When he saw that no one was in the hallway he gently opened the door the rest of the way and slipped in. He walked silently as he followed his nose towards his friends scent. He caught the scent of Inuyasha and Kagome and breathed a sigh of relief. He now knew for sure that they were on this floor as he made his way towards them.

When he got to this one part in the hallway he stopped as he saw two humans leaving a room and quickly locking the door. They were running down the hallway when something broke through the door and took off after them.

Mike's eyes grew big when he realized whom that someone was that had broken that door with such force. He never knew that she had that much strength. Her scent was different as she ran down the hallway chasing after the two humans who had left the room not to long ago.

Kagome had the scent of a full youkai as Mike watched her running down the hallway. A moment later he saw Inuyasha chasing after his mate as he followed her scent in the direction of the humans.

Mike didn't know what was going on but he knew for a fact that Inuyasha scent was that of a full youkai, which meant they had done something to his mate. He rushed forward as he looked into the room in which they came out of and he looked on in horror.

He saw all of his companions up against the wall and they had all been beaten to an inch of their life, judging by all of the wounds on their body. He saw blood in the middle of the room near a pillar and knew that it belonged to Kagome.

He saw the demon slaves releasing his friends as he rushed in and said, "What is going on? Where did Inuyasha and Kagome run off to?"

One of his companions looked up and said, "Kagome seems to have turned into a full youkai. Inuyasha ran off after her when she went after the slavers that had just tortured her. She made a threat that she was going to bring down this entire facility for what they've done. We're going to go and free all of the slaves before that happens."

Mike looked at all of the slaves and then noticed that they were no longer wearing the necklace around their necks and asked, "What happened to the subduing necklaces?"

"Kagome broke them all when they placed one on her and Kusco was trying to subdue her. She has released everyone from the spell." Said one of the other guards as they came closer to Mike.

Mike stood there for a few minutes thinking and then he said, "Gather all of the slaves in this facility and then meet downstairs in the lower levels. Once everyone has been released leave the facility and run into the forest, I will be there waiting for you to escort you all back to the Western Lands. You are not to kill any humans in this facility. Lord Inutaisho will not permit you to live on his land if you have ever shed human blood. This is his law." Said Mike as he looked at all of the slave demons in front of him.

All of the slaves nodded their agreement to his statement. All they wanted was to be free from this place. They would do anything to get away from here, as would any of the other slaves in the facility.

Mike watched as they left the room and spread out to set the slaves free from their cells. He quickly turned and ran back down the stairs as he rushed outside into the forest to find Inutaisho.

It didn't take him long to find him as he quickly approached and told him what was going on inside the facility.

Inutaisho stood there listening to what Mike was saying. He turned to his commander and said, "I want a group of our warriors to be ready to meet the slaves as soon as they come out of the facility. They will attack any humans they see to get away from here. They are to be taken to the clearing that is behind us and kept there until we settle the matter of what is going on inside the building, then they can be escorted back to the Western Lands and be set free to live their lives."

The commander understood his orders as he got 20 of his demons soldiers ready to greet the slaves as they left the facility.

It didn't take long for the slaves to emerge from the building and when they were about to reach the forest the demon soldiers surrounded them in a protective circle along with the human soldiers who were standing behind them.

Lord Inutaisho and King Higurashi came out of the forest to greet them when one of his guards said, "My Lord, Inuyasha and Kagome have turned into their full youkai form and they're starting to bring the building down. They have encountered some resistance from the human slavers and soon they will be leaving the building, running for the safety of the city. They are chasing Kusco and Naraku as we speak."

Inutaisho listened and then said, "Thank you for the information, we will deal with the human slaver and we will deal with Kagome and Inuyasha as well." He nodded to his soldiers who took all of the demon slaves into the forest to rest and await the outcome of the battle that was raging inside the facility.

Inutaisho turned to King Higurashi and said, "It seems that the sword I gave your daughter wasn't enough to keep her demon nature in check. She has also turned full youkai like my son. Now I have to deal with both of them.

I want you to deal with the humans that will be leaving the facility. Leave Inuyasha and Kagome to me and I will subdue them. Once I have done this we will leave to go back to the Western Lands. I want to make sure that they return to their normal form, I don't want to risk your kingdom if they get away from me. We can handle them in my kingdom, yours is just to fragile to deal with the power that these two hold."

King Higurashi nodded his agreement to his request. If he wanted to keep his daughter safe then he had to let them deal with the situation. He knew deep down in his heart that he would never hurt his daughter; if anything he knew he would give his life to protect her.

They waited outside to see what was going to happen. They heard a rumbling noise from somewhere deep inside the building and knew that they were attacking. They held their breath hoping that the two left inside would come out very soon.

oOo

Wow, do you think Kagome is pissed at Kusco? Well you will have to wait to see what will happen to them.

I was asked if Rin would be Sesshomaru's mate in this story. No, she is not his mate. His mate is the character that I created. In my mind she is still a child and I couldn't pair them together. But you won't be disappointed in the character.

As for the reason why Inuyasha's father lived when his mother died. Well a full explanation will be given later in the story.

That is the end to another chapter. Remember to leave me a review and tell me what you think.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Kagome was running after the bitch that had tortured her. She wanted to get her for everything she had done to her mate. Her anger was still peaked and her demon blood was boiling to the point of bursting. She didn't care at this point she wanted her revenge and she was going to get it.

She continued to run after Naraku and Kusco, she couldn't believe that they could run this fast. She had gone the wrong way down several of the hallways but she had backtracked and now she was on their trail again.

She skidded to a stop when she came upon a group of slavers that were in her way of getting to her target. She flexed her claws, as she was about to do battle with them.

oOo-

Kusco and Naraku had been running for their lives as the girl was chasing them down the hallways. They had managed to make it to the second floor of the facility without the girl catching up to them.

She was fast and she was right behind them as they fled, but apparently because they have been all over the facility, she was having a hard time tracking them as they gave her the slip and went down to the second floor.

They found a group of slavers in the hallway as they stopped and said, "There's a demon that is chasing us. I want you to capture her."

The slaver looked at her in disbelief as they said, "All of the demons in this facility have been released from their cells by Macho and the other slaves. They left the building making their way into the forest. There are no more demons left in this facility."

Kusco was irritated as she tried to keep her temper in check, "Fine, but there is still one left in this facility and she's chasing us. I want you to deal with her. If you happen to kill her then I won't be mad." She ended her statement with an evil smile that if they did manage to kill the girl then she could still go after the hanyou once all this was over with.

The slavers agreed to her demands as Kusco turned and ran after Naraku who had made it into his office.

Naraku was going through all of his desk draws as he was pulling out the papers from them and stuffing it into a bag that he was holding in his hand. Then he went to a picture that was hanging behind his desk as he opened it up to expose the safe that was hidden there. He quickly opened it and put all of the money that was in it into the bag. He turned to see Kusco standing there looking at him dumbfounded.

Kusco never knew he had a safe in his office as she shook her head and then followed him out the door to make their escape from the facility.

oOo-

The slavers saw the demon coming towards them and they got ready to attack. They were under no restrictions to keep the demon alive so they were free to do whatever they wanted.

The demon came to a stop right in front of them and they saw that it was a female demon. They had never had to deal with female demons before. They only captured the males. They got ready to attack as they blocked her way from getting to Kusco and Naraku, as they were running down the hallway to escape from the facility.

Kagome spotted Kusco and Naraku retreating forms and she became enraged. She was not about to let them get away. She saw the slavers in front of her as she said, "Get the fuck out of my way! I'm after Kusco and the man with her."

The slavers eyed her with curiosity as they stood their ground. They could get a pretty good price for her. She was young and pretty if they could only capture her, take her to another facility, and then sold her for breeding.

Then one of them said, "We won't get out of the way, why don't you come with us and we will make sure that you are safe from everyone here. We won't hurt you."

Kagome eyed the men in front of her as she flexed her claws at them and then said, "I said get out of my way!"

The slavers attacked by throwing sleeping power at her to see if they could subdue her. She was a prize worth fighting for and she could be worth her weight in gold if they could capture her. For capturing a female demon was a rare thing, you never see them anywhere.

Kagome saw the sleeping powder coming towards her and got ready. She placed a barrier up just before it reached her and then sent it back in their direction. The slavers tired to get out of the way but found that they were too many of them to move as the powder exploded in front of them and put them all to sleep.

Kagome quickly jumped over them as she made it past them to go after her prey.

oOo-

Inuyasha had been chasing his mate after she had left the training room. He knew she was in danger. He could sense it as the voice in the back of his mind told him that he needed to locate her and fast.

He was running through the hallways as he followed his mate's scent. He ran into a few of the facilities guards as he quickly yelled, "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" The blades came out of his claws and impacted on the ground as he plowed right through them to continue his search. He had no time to deal with these humans he wanted his mate.

He had made it down to the second floor and saw his mate jumping over the unconscious slavers as she was chasing after someone. 'Damn bitch needs to learn how to slow down.' Thought Inuyasha as he quickly followed making sure that nothing would happen to her.

oOo-

Kusco and Naraku ran out of the building as they were trying to get away from the demon that was chasing them. They came to a complete stop when they saw the king's soldiers come out of the forest and formed a semi circle around them as they said, "Halt! You are under arrest for the kidnapping of King Higurashi's daughter and her husband. You are to come with us peacefully or we will use force."

Kusco looked at the soldier with shock, 'since when did that bitch marry my hanyou! She has no right to be his wife.' Thought Kusco as she continued to ponder this new information. 'No wonder I couldn't get him to submit to me if he already married her!' Kusco was shaking with rage as the soldiers slowly approached where they were standing.

At that point Kagome came out of the building and jumped right in front of them, as she flexed her claws at the bitch just standing a few feet away. She didn't even notice the soldiers that were standing behind her as she made her advance towards Kusco.

Kusco didn't care anymore she was going to kill the princess and get the hanyou to submit to her if it was the last thing she would ever do. Kusco had her whip with her as she got it out and got ready to do battle.

Naraku had been watching from the side and noticed when Kusco got her whip out to do battle. Seeing that his partner had gone crazy he opted to back away from them and try to get away.

When he turned towards the facility again he saw the male hanyou come out with his blood red eyes. He went back in the other direction as the hanyou gave chase. He would rather be caught by the human soldiers and not be killed at the moment

The human soldier came forward and captured Naraku as the hanyou came towards them with raised claws ready to attack. At that moment Inutaisho stepped in front of his son to stop him.

Inuyasha upon seeing his father stopped his attack as he eyed the human that had gotten away from him. He growl fiercely at having lost his prey as his father kept his eyes on him ready to intercept any attacks. After a few minutes his father spoke to him.

"Beta male you are to stand down. I will not permit you to hurt this human." Said his father hoping to get him to listen to reason.

Inuyasha just, "Feh," as he said, "I will kill him whether you are standing there or not. He hurt and tortured my mate, he will pay with his life." Inuyasha crouched low to the ground as his ears flatten on top of his head, bearing his fangs and flexing his claws at his father for standing in his way.

Inutaisho looked his son and clearly saw the rage that he had, then he noticed the blood on the front of his Juban, as he asked, "How did you get injured?"

Inuyasha growled his anger as he answered his father's question. " I was whipped for trying to defend my mate from getting tortured. These people care little for life and I will kill him, now get out of my way!" Inuyasha finished with a threatening growl as he took a step forward to reach Naraku.

Inutaisho stood his ground as he growled at his son. Inuyasha seeing that his father wasn't going to let him pass backed off from the attack but kept a watchful eye on his prey. He wasn't about to let him get away.

Inutaisho looked at the human behind him and said, "Is what he is saying true? Did you torture the girl? Did your people whip him for defending his mate?"

Naraku eyes grew wide as he said, "No! I didn't torture the girl Kusco did. I only own this facility. I'm sure that she was the one that whipped him as well, she is the task master and that's her job."

Inutaisho grew angrier by the minute as he said, "So you're the one responsible for having my son captured and brought here to this facility. Give me a reason why I shouldn't let him kill you for what you have done!"

Naraku couldn't answer his question he was so scared that he didn't know what to do. He coward as the lord of the Western Lands came closer to him expecting an answer. His eyes glowing red for just a brief second from the rage he was feeling.

Inutaisho looked up at the human guards standing in front of him and said, "You better get him away from here before I lose control and kill him myself for what he has done."

The soldiers came quickly forward as they grabbed Naraku and lead him away before he was killed by the demon standing in front of him.

Inutaisho felt when his son readied his attack and leaped into the air to kill the human that was being taken away, when he moved to intercept. He blocked his attack as they both landed on the ground and stared at each other.

"Beta male do you challenge for the right to lead!" ask his father with a growl.

Inuyasha backed down, he had no desire to challenge as he growled and backed away, flexing his claws in agitation. He was still keeping his eye on where they were taking the human. He wasn't about to give up that easily. He heard a cry coming from behind him as he turned and saw what was happening to his mate.

oOo-

Kagome was slowly making her advance towards the bitch in front of her. She flexed her claws and barred her fangs as she attacked Kusco.

Kusco quickly let go of the end of her whip and brought it back as she made ready her attack. When she saw that the girl was within reach she brought her arm forward and hit Kagome across the front of her chest as she cried out in pain.

Kagome landed on the other side of her as she looked down and saw the blood coming from her wound. She moved again and this time she was ready for her whip. When she saw the whip coming towards her she grabbed it and then pulled it from her hands as she landed on the other side.

She took the whip and gave it a flick with her wrist. She heard the loud snap as she smiled wickedly at Kusco. Kagome walked slowly towards Kusco and when she reached her she flicked the whip towards the taskmaster as she saw Kusco crumble in front of her in pain.

Kagome saw the expression on her face and said, "How does it feel to be whipped by the weapon that you like to use on helpless demons?"

Kusco eyed the girl in front of her as the pain she was feeling was fueling her anger. She slowly rose to her feet and said, "That was nothing, I inflect much more pain than that on my victims."

Kagome's anger was beginning to rise, she had enough of the woman standing in front of her. It was about time she got a taste of her own medicine. She raised her arm and then proceeded to whip Kusco to within an inch of her life for every time she had tortured an innocent demon at this facility.

Kusco was in pain as she reached in her shirt and pulled out a knife. She got herself ready as she quickly turned around and threw the knife straight at the girl, where it landed in her shoulder. Kagome crumpled to the ground as she yelled out in pain dropping the whip she was holding.

When Kusco got up from the ground she had another knife in her hand as she made her way towards the fallen girl and said, "Now I will kill you and the hanyou will belong to me." She raised her hand and was about to deal the killing blow when she heard, "DON'T… TOUCH… MY… MATE!

Inuyasha had seen what Kusco was going to do to his mate as he leaped from his father side with claws extended and landed a killing blow at the wench in front of him. He was panting hard once he was done as he turned to look at his mate.

Kagome had managed to get the knife out of her shoulder as she slowly sat up to look for the bitch who had done this to her. She saw her dead on the ground as she looked up to see who had killed her.

She saw a demon in front of her that she didn't recognize. She was bearing her fangs and claws at him as she got into a crouched position. She needed to go find her mate and she wanted to get away from this place, as she slowly started to back away from the demon who had saved her from death.

Inuyasha saw the way Kagome was looking at him and he was confused, he didn't know what was wrong with her. He took a step closer to her and stopped as was she bearing her fangs and growling at him. He became enraged that his mate would be acting like this as he started to growl back at her. He started to go around in a circle trying to find a way to get to her.

Kagome was proving to be a fighter; she wouldn't give the demon in front of her a chance to get near her. Every time he would pounce she would move with lighting speed away from him. She landed several hits, as Inuyasha pondered what to do to get to his mate, that had apparently gone mad.

Inutaisho seeing what was happening in front of him told the human soldiers to back off and stay away from them. He knew that Kagome didn't recognize her mate because she has never met him in her current form. He had to get to his son and subdue him first and then he can take care of Kagome.

He turned to Miroku and said, "Miroku, I want you and a few others to keep the girl busy while I go and take care of Inuyasha. Once I have subdued him then I will go after the girl. You're the only one that can keep her at bay until I'm done with my son. If she uses her miko powers you're going to have to block her attack. She's hurt, so she won't be as fast as she normally would be."

Miroku nodded his understanding of his orders as he turned and got a couple of his men. He briefed them on what they were going to do. They all understood their instruction, as they all got ready.

Inutaisho nodded in their direction and they all moved in.

Inuyasha sensing the approaching threat quickly turned to face his father who was right behind him. He flexed his claws as he attacked.

Inutaisho was ready for him, when Inuyasha reached him he quickly sidestepped, grabbed his arm, and brought it behind his back. He brought his other hand up behind his neck and then whispered into his ear, "I'm sorry my son but I have to do this."

He squeezed that certain spot on the back of his neck as his son fell forward in his arms, unconscious. He placed him gently on the ground and looked at his wounds. He was whipped severely for defending his mate and it pained him to see him this way. He stood up as he turned his attention towards the girl.

Miroku had his hands full with Kagome. Even though she was injured she was proving to be a formidable foe. She was strong and her miko powers hadn't weakened in the least bit.

Kagome had gotten out the sword that Inutaisho had given her and was holding it in her hand, ready to strike. She held it out to the side as she transformed the sword into a bow and arrow. She locked the arrow in place as she channeled her miko powers into the arrow, making it glow brightly in her hand.

The demons standing right in front of her saw what she had done to the arrow, as it started to glow brightly. They knew that she had channeled a great deal of power into the arrow, as they got ready to leap out of the way.

She drew her bowstring back but instead of aiming it at Miroku and his men she aimed it at the facility directly behind her. She let go of the arrow as it went fling towards the building and impacted.

The force of the arrow was so strong that the building in front of them collapsed completely to the ground. Effectively destroying the facility that had hurt so many demons.

Miroku, seeing that the girl was distracted for the moment, threw his binding spell at her as he encased her in his ropes. Miroku was struggling to keep the spell in place but Kagome was strong through, she was starting to break it.

Inutaisho saw that the girl was in a binding spell and he knew that he didn't have much time. He didn't want to hurt her as he rushed in and then placed his hand on the back of her neck as he said, "I'm sorry Kagome but I must stop you." He pressed in that certain spot on the back of her neck, as Kagome let out a whimper and she collapsed in his arms, unconscious.

Inutaisho caught the scent of her blood. There was so much of it that he moved her hair out of the way to look at her back. Her entire back was a zigzag of cuts and whip marks. The blood was still coming out of her wounds as he held her limp form in his arms. Her arms were in the same condition and he now knew why his son had gone full youkai. He would've done the same if someone were hurting his mate like this.

He picked her up in his arms as he walked back towards his son's sleeping form. He summoned his transportation cloud as he laid Kagome and Inuyasha on it and got ready to leave.

But before he left he turned towards Miroku and said, "Miroku, get everyone moving back to the Western Lands. I'm leaving with these two because if they wake up and they're not back to normal they will attack everyone here. Make sure that you take the demons from the processing facility with you."

Miroku inclined his head towards his lords as he saw him take off with his son and mate, heading back towards the Western Lands.

Miroku turned to the rest of the demon soldiers and said, "Lets go home."

The commander gathered his soldiers and they all took off toward the Western Lands, making sure that they took the demons from the processing facility with them. They left behind the human soldiers to deal with the mess.

oOo-

Inutaisho flew through the air with great speed. He needed to get back to his castle as soon as possible. He had to get there before his son started to wake up. He knew that they wouldn't return to normal because they were both looking for their mates and they had yet to satisfy that need.

Inuyasha knew who his mate was because his mating mark held his strong scent that connected him to her. But Kagome still didn't know what her mate looked like as a demon. Because of her inexperience in being a demon, she couldn't recognize her mating scent on his son. She needed to submit to him as a demon in order for their bond to be stronger.

He made it back to his home as he guided his transportation cloud down to the lower parts of the castle. He saw his son starting to move, he was waking up. He took them down to his special room. He knew that they would be safe in there if things were to get out of hand.

The room had no windows in it so they couldn't escape. It had a sleeping pallet on the ground and it was comfortable. The room was big enough to give them room to move around in or attack each other if they had to.

He went into the room and placed them down on the sleeping pallet. He took one more look at his sleeping son before he left the room and locked it. He placed a seal on the door to prevent them from leaving. He knew that this seal the girl couldn't break.

Inuyasha slowly started to stir as his head was pounding. He slowly opened his eyes to see that he was in a room with no windows. The last thing he remembered was trying to get his mate to submit to him and then everything went black.

He slowly got up as he growled his displeasure and looked around the room he was in. He knew that they weren't in the processing facility because the scents here were different from that place.

He looked off to the side and saw that his mate was starting to wake up. He picked his nose up into the air as he sniffed. Her scent was that of a demon, he slowly moved into a corner of the room and got in a crouched position. He lowered his ears to his head and started to growl low in his throat. He remembered that she didn't recognized him and he didn't want to look threatening to her.

Kagome woke up to find that she had a tremendous headache the size of a mountain. The last thing she remembered was fighting some demons and getting grabbed from behind before everything went black.

She heard a low growl coming from her side as she quickly got up, bearing her fangs. She noticed that she was in a room with no windows. She started to whimper as she saw this, she wanted to find her mate and go home.

Kagome's whimpers became stronger as she continued to look around the room. Her eyes came upon a demon with his head down and ears back right in front of her. She didn't know who he was but she had no intentions of finding out.

Inuyasha heard Kagome's whimpers and his heart went out to her, she was looking for something and he wanted to comfort her. His ears perked up when she continued to whimper as he tried to move closer to her, he kept his head down in a form of submission to see if he could get nearer.

Kagome growled as she flexed her claws at the demon that was trying to get closer to her. She wanted to get out of this room. She saw a door off to her right and she made her way towards it. When she grabbed the handle it threw her back into the room as she landed on her back, whining because she was hurt.

Inuyasha seeing that his mate had been hurt went towards her to see if he could comfort her. She started to growl at him again telling him to keep his distance from her and that got his blood boiling.

He bared his fangs and growled back as he made ready his attack. He leaped and ran right into her barrier as it pushed him back away from her. He flexed his claws, as he got ready to attack again.

Kagome was starting to get weak from all of her injuries as she tried to keep the demon in front of her at bay. He had blood red eyes and he looked familiar to her but she didn't know who he was. Her heart went out to him for some reason, as she saw him on the other side of the barrier trying to break it.

Something deep down inside was telling her that he was the one that she was looking for but he didn't look anything like her mate. She continued to growl and flex her claws as he continued to attack her barrier.

Kagome looked at the door again and sent a bright pink light towards it to see if she could break the spell on the door. The door shook violently but it never opened. She whimpered some more at her failure to find her mate. The attack on the door had left her even weaker as the demon in the room with her continued to attack her barrier.

Inuyasha continued with his attacks until he broke through the barrier and landed right on top of Kagome pinning her to the ground as she fought to get him off her. He heard her whimpers and lowered his head as he said, "Koishii, it's me I won't hurt you." He licked her chin and nuzzled her against her neck as he felt her shiver from his touch.

Kagome eyes widen as she heard his words and then felt his gentle touch. She was breathing hard as she said, "Mate?"

Inuyasha looked up into her blood red eyes and said, "Yes, submit to me Koishii."

Kagome took a deep breath and breathed in his scent. His scent made her head swim with desire, then she finally realized it was her mate. She lifted her chin up to expose her neck to him in an act of submission that he gladly accepted.

Inuyasha started to lick her neck and Kagome purred with delight. He continued to lick and nip at her neck as he was lying on top of her, enjoying having his mate back in his arms.

He remembered that she had been hurt during their ordeal at the processing facility and he got up off her. He picked her up and placed her on his lap as he looked at all of her wounds. Her back was covered in blood as he cradled her in his arms and started to rock her back and forth to comfort her as he purred.

Kagome hearing his wonderful purrs relaxed into his embrace as she snuggled her body into his, finally falling into a relaxing healing sleep.

Inuyasha continued to rock his mate as her scent sent a calming feeling into his body. He heard the door open behind him as he slowly turned to find that his father was standing there looking at him.

Inutaisho had been outside the door listening to make sure that they didn't hurt each other as his son got his mate to submit to him. Once he was sure that everything was calm in the room he opened the door.

He saw his son sitting on the floor with his mate in his arms as he was gently rocking her back and forth. When he turned towards him he noticed that his eyes were no longer red and he smiled.

He walked over to his son and said, "Do you want to move to your own room or would you rather stay down here?"

Inuyasha looked at his father with confusion in his eyes as he said, "Here? Where's here?"

Inutaisho chuckled as he said, "This is a room that I had especially built to prevent full demons from hurting themselves during their transformations. I figured that I could bring you and Kagome down here until your demon blood calmed down and made sure that you didn't hurt each other."

Inuyasha laughed at his father as he slowly started to get up with his mate in his arms. He was tired as he walked up the stairs toward his room. His father was following close behind him to make sure he made it up there safe.

Inuyasha entered his room to find all kinds of medicine and gauze to treat Kagome wounds. He turned to look at his father as his father said, "I thought that you would want to treat her wounds. I know that you don't like any healers near her so I had them supply you with everything you would need." He inclined his head toward his son as he left his room and closed the door behind him, knowing that they were finally at home safe.

Inuyasha walked over to his bed and sat down with his mate in his lap. He proceeded to take off her top to expose her back to him. He cringed when he saw all of the marks left by Kusco and her whip.

He reached over and got a clean cloth as he proceeded to clean the wounds on her back of all the blood. Now he knew what his back looked like when Kagome had healed his wounds, when she had freed him from that hellhole.

He lowered his head as he started to lick her wounds to heal them. He heard his mate moan as he continued until all of her wounds were completely healed. He laid her down and looked at her shoulder where Kusco had hit her with the knife.

The wound was partially closed but it looked infected. He reached for some more clean cloths as he proceeded to tend to that wound. He tried to heal the wound but found that it wouldn't close. 'The wound must be too deep for me to heal it for her.' Thought a concerned Inuyasha.

He found some kind of medicine that he could put on it as he wrapped her wound in bandages around her shoulder. He just hoped that the herbs would be enough to heal her shoulder.

He healed the whip mark that she had going from her left shoulder down to her right hip. It was a perfect hit as it cut her diagonally across her chest. That wound wasn't deep so he was able to heal it.

He took off what remained of her clothes as he laid her down under the covers so she could rest. He cleaned up the mess in his room as he yawned and rubbed his tired eyes.

He was tired as he stripped his clothes off and lay down next to his mate. He was happy to have her by his side once again. He went to reach for his mate and gasped as he held his chest in pain and fell unconscious near her. The wounds that were almost healed on his chest opened again and started to bleed even more.

oOo

The next morning Inutaisho got up like usual. He went about his normal business knowing that his son and mate were finally safe at home.

He spent the whole day in his office but he hadn't heard a word from his son. He would normally hear him racing about the castle with an angry growl being heard for something someone had done to him. But the castle seemed quite today.

He went downstairs for some lunch and found that his son hadn't come down to get anything to eat that morning. Although it wasn't unusual he still thought it best to go and check on them to make sure they were all right.

When he got to Inuyasha's door and paused there for a few minutes to see if he could hear any sounds coming from inside the room. He would hate to walk in on something if his son was somewhat engaged with his mate.

He heard nothing and when he reached for the door there was no barrier. He gently opened the door just a little so he could peek inside the room.

He saw his son and his mate lying in bed not moving. He thought it was strange that his son wasn't curled up with his mate the way he would normally be when he would walk in to check on them.

He approached his son with care, not wanting to get attacked for being too close to his mate. He walked right up next to him and when his son didn't even move or growl he knew that something was wrong.

He quickly reached for his son and shook him, as he was trying to wake him up, but he wouldn't stir. He looked at his mate and noticed that her cheeks where flushed. He put a hand on her forehead and felt that she had a high fever. She was sweating and her breathing wasn't normal.

He knew it meant trouble if Inuyasha was unconscious because they were both mated, it meant that if one got really sick and it was serious they could both die.

He looked down at his son's wounds and they weren't healing, as a matter of fact they were bleeding again. The flow of blood was getting worse with each passing minute.

He hurried out of the room and yelled for the castle healers to come quickly and tend to Kagome and Inuyasha's wounds.

The healers quickly came into the room and Inutaisho told them what had happened the night before. They looked at Kagome's body so they could check her wounds. All of them were healed except for the wound on her shoulder. It was still bleeding and it looked badly infected.

The healers sniffed as they caught the scent of poison coming from the wound. The healers quickly mixed a healing herb and placed it on her wound. They gave her some medicine to drink as one of them stood and said, "We have given her the antidote to the poison she was given. By all rights she should be dead but she is still alive, we're doing all we can to keep her alive, only time will tell if she will live."

Inutaisho eyes grew big at what he was told. When Kagome got hit with the knife it must've had some kind of poison on it. That human wench wanted to kill her no matter what and now it looked like she might get her wish. But not only will she kill Kagome she will also kill Inuyasha in the process.

The healers tended to Inuyasha's wounds and wrapped them up in gauze and bandages. They looked up at Inutaisho and said, "His wounds won't heal. If he continues to bleed like this then he will die as well. We have put some medicine on his wounds to stop the flow of blood. We hope that it will work."

Inutaisho nodded his head in understanding as he stayed by his son side watching to see if they would recover from what had happen to them.

oOo-

Kagome slowly started to flutter her eyes open. She was lying on the cold hard ground and her shoulder hurt like hell. She tried to focus her eyes and found that the place she was in was dark. She could barely make out her hands in front of her face as she started to sit up.

She felt weak and all she wanted to do was go to sleep. But something deep down inside her was telling her that she needed to stay awake.

She looked around expecting to see Inuyasha lying next to her like he usually was, but she couldn't find him. She gently said, "Inu…Inuyasha?" but he didn't answer her call.

Kagome held onto her shoulder with her left hand as she tired to concentrate on her wound. She needed to get it healed so she wouldn't be in so much pain. She concentrated hard on her wound but it wouldn't heal. This confused her because she had always been able to use her healing powers but now it wasn't working.

She slowly started to rock back and forth as she held her shoulder and started to whimper. She had never felt so alone before in her life. She felt like something was missing and that she would never be able to see it again. She continued to whimper and rock as the despair slowly started to rise within her.

She caught a movement off to the side as she turned her head in that direction but didn't see anyone.

The hairs on the back of her neck started to rise as a warning before she saw the black figure heading straight towards her.

Kagome was able to dodge the attack just in time before the figure slashed out with a knife where she had been just a few moments ago.

Kagome was panting from the effort as she slowly rolled over into a crouch position. She was weak and she didn't know if she could fight this thing in front of her.

The figure slowly stood up as it held a knife in its hand. It kept twirling it around its fingers like it was some kind of a toy. It started to laugh an evil laughter that sent a cold stab into Kagome's heart.

Kagome recognized that laugh it was Kusco's laughter that she heard. 'Wait, didn't she die at the processing facility?'

Kagome looked up at the figure in front of her. She started to make out her facial features as she saw who it was in front of her.

Kagome's blood turned cold when she realized who it was, 'She can't be alive! She's dead.' As her eyes grew bigger in recognition.

Kusco stood straight up as she glared at the girl in front of her. She started to laugh as she said, "What's the matter princess? You thought that I was dead. Well I am but I promised you that I would kill you so I can have the hanyou and I never go back on my word."

Kagome's breathing was becoming labored at what she was hearing. 'This has to be some sort of nightmare that I'm having and all I need to do is wake up.'

Kagome closed her eyes as she concentrated, all she needed to do was wake up and end this dream.

At the girl's moment of inattentiveness Kusco jumped bringing her knife down on her. Kagome felt the danger coming and quickly rolled to her right as she got into a fighting stance. Kagome was breathing hard as she looked at the bitch in front of her. There was no way she was going to die and leave her to get her mate.

Kusco, having the upper hand in the fight charged the girl while she was dazed. She tackled her to the ground as Kagome cried out in pain when she was grabbed by her shoulder.

Kusco smiled one of her most evil smiles as she was sitting on top of the girl with a knife at her throat. "Now you will die and the hanyou will finally be mine to do with as I please."

Kusco raised her arm as she brought the knife to bear. She was about to deal the killing blow to Kagome when she was attacked and knocked off the girl as she landed 10 feet away from them.

When Kusco looked up she couldn't believe her eyes, he wasn't supposed to be here. It was her chance to get her revenge and he still showed up to save her. "How can this be?"

oOo

Inutaisho was sitting by his son's side as he kept a silent vigil over them. The girl didn't look good as her face continued to get redder from the high fever she had.

He kept putting a nice cool cloth on her forehead to try and keep her comfortable.

He lowered his head and started to think, 'There has to be something that I can do to help them. Whatever kind of poison the female slaver used on Kagome it was a powerful one. The healers are having a hard time keeping her alive. If only Izayoi was here she would know what to do. She was a powerful miko and she could cure just about anything.'

Inutaisho continued his train of thought then he got and idea, 'Izayoi always had the sword with her for as long as I can remember, maybe it can help Kagome heal. It's worth a try and besides we're running out of options.'

Inutaisho leaned over and retrieved Kagome's sword from the table on the side of the bed where his son had placed it. He then unsheathed it and placed it in her hand.

As soon as he wrapped Kagome's fingers around the hilt of the sword the sword began to glow. The bluish tint that was surrounding the sword began to envelope Kagome. The glow started growing in its intensity as Inutaisho backed away from the bed. The bright light was almost getting too bright for his eyes to handle.

He looked towards his son and noticed that he was also glowing the same color as the girl. The light continued to grow until it exploded around the room effectively blinding him for a few minutes.

He slowly opened his eyes trying to get his focus back. When his eyes finally adjusted he looked at where his son and mate were lying. What he saw surprised him.

oOo

Inuyasha slowly started to wake up to find that he was laying in a dark place. He reached for his mate only to find that she was gone from his side. He had sworn that he had brought her back to his room and that they were lying in bed together. But she was gone from his side as it brought back bad memories from the last time this had happened.

He felt a tug at his heart and knew that his mate was in trouble as he got to his feet and started to sniff the area. He eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness as he made a scan of the area.

He couldn't pick up her scent but his demon senses were telling him where she was. It also told him that she was in danger and that he needed to get to her and fast.

He started racing though the dark forest looking for his mate. Fear was attacking his heart as he raced to be with her. He heard her gentle call for him as he stopped to see if he could pick up her scent. No such luck. Her scent was nowhere to be found. He closed his eyes as he opened up his senses and it told him which way to go. He began running again as his demon side was picking up on her location.

He came into a clearing and what he saw made his blood boil. Kusco was there and had his mate pinned to the ground and she was about to kill her. He leaped, as her arm was coming down, and pushed her off his mate as he landed right in front of Kagome.

He was flexing his claws at the wench in front of him as he bared his fangs.

Kusco slowly got up off the ground as she stared at the hanyou in front of her. 'He wasn't suppose to be here. I was suppose to have my revenge on the girl.'

"What are you doing here? Your not suppose to be here." Said Kusco with frustration in her voice.

Inuyasha just smirked, as he said, "I'm always by my mates side. I will always protect her from people like you."

Kusco got an evil smile on her face as she said, "Well if you want to protect her so much then she will have the honor of seeing me kill you before I kill her. If I can't have you then no one will." Kusco stepped forward with her knife as she attacked.

Inuyasha saw her coming as he quickly sidestepped her attack. Kusco on the other hand was fast as she was passing him she lashed out with her other hand. She caught him across the chest with the other knife that she had hidden.

Inuyasha fell back as he groan from the attack. He looked down to see that he had a deep cut on his chest as the blood was slowly seeping out of the wound. He covered his wound with his hand trying to stop the flow of blood as he turned his attention back to the person attacking him.

He had to be on guard, she was ruthless and she could kill him if he wasn't careful.

Kusco quickly skidded to a halt as she quickly turned around. She eyed the hanyou with the lust she felt for him. She didn't want to hurt him too much because she still wanted him for her own. He was hers to do with as she pleased. She was going to enjoy torturing him and then kill his mate right in front of his eyes.

Kusco attacked again and this time Inuyasha was ready as he yelled, "BLADES OF BLOOD!"

The knives came out of his claws were red shinning blades that were looking for its target. They found their target as the knives hit her full force. The ground around her was churning up from the impact of his blades. When the smoke cleared she was still standing right in front of him with no visible scars on her. The attack had no effect on her at all.

Inuyasha was surprised at what he saw, 'damn, she's still alive. How am I suppose to defeat her.'

Kusco looked at the confusion on his face and started to laugh, "Do you really think you can kill me? FOOL! I'm already dead you can't kill me again. I, on the other hand, can kill the girl and take over her body. Then you will belong to me."

Kusco attacked again as she hit him on his leg. Inuyasha let out a cry of pain as he went down. Kusco then turned her attention towards Kagome as she made her way towards her.

Kagome saw everything that was going on. She had to find a way to fight this bitch and save Inuyasha. 'I won't let her get her hands on him. He deserves to be happy and he will be in hell with her for the rest of his life if I allow her to win.'

Kagome started to concentrate with all her might on her body. She had to get her spiritual powers to work so she can defeat her. At that moment she felt a surge of power as she slowly got up off the ground and stood there in front of Kusco waiting for her to get closer.

Kusco saw the girl stand and smiled, she was going to make it easy to kill her. She readied her knives as she charged towards Kagome.

Kagome was standing there but she had her head down as Kusco was making her attack.

Inuyasha saw this as he yelled, "Kagome! Look out!" He tried to get up but failed, the blood was pouring out of the wound on his leg making him weak. His heart was pounding against his chest as he saw Kusco going towards his mate. He was sure that she would kill Kagome as he looked on in horror.

Kagome had her head down but she was in a deep sleep. Her body started to glow a bright blue as it illuminated the entire area with the light.

Kusco had to stop as the light became blinding, not allowing her to see her target. She cursed under her breath as she tried to see where the girl was. The light slowly started to die down and there was someone in front of the girl protecting her.

At first she taught it was the hanyou but this was a female. She was very refined and she carried a certain kind of power with her. Kusco looked at her and said, "Move aside! I have no quorums with you. I only want the girl behind you, so get out of my way."

The figure standing in front of the girl slowly looked up to stare at the person in front of her. She raised an eyebrow and said, "What makes you think that I will allow a dark creature like yourself to hurt my sons mate."

Inuyasha heard the woman speak as he quickly looked up to see his mother standing right in front of his mate protecting her. He gave her a weak smile, as he said, "thank you mother," and passed out on the ground from the wounds he had received.

Kusco was shocked to hear this woman say that the hanyou was her son, "You're lying I know for a fact that his mother died a long time ago. But it doesn't matter to me, I will kill you and then the girl."

Kusco went running towards Inuyasha's mother. Izayoi stood her ground and when Kusco got there she released her powers as she got rid of Kusco once and for all as she purified her soul.

Izayoi then turned towards Kagome and said, "Kagome, you must use your energy to heal your body. If you don't then you will die along with Inuyasha."

Kagome heard her words as she started to concentrate on her body. She let the gentle glow of the blue light wash over her as it was starting to get brighter.

Kagome seeing her mate on the ground had enough strength to go towards him as she kneeled by his side. He was weak from the blood loss as she put her hands on him and started to heal his wounds.

Izayoi saw what she was trying to do and said, "Kagome, you can't heal yourself and Inuyasha at the same time. You don't have enough energy to do that."

Kagome looked up from what she was doing and said in a tired voice, "I don't care. What's the sense in living if he isn't with me? He's the other half of my heart and I will not give it up willingly. If I can't heal the both of us then we will both die together. Either way I will be with him." Kagome lowered her head and continued to concentrate on what she was doing.

Izayoi saw what the girl was doing. 'My son has chosen well for himself. His mate is very loyal and she loves him deeply. Love like this only comes around once every thousand years.' She closed her eyes as she lent Kagome some of her healing energy to heal both Kagome and her son.

oOo-

Inutaisho stared in awe at what he was witnessing. Kagome was starting to glow a bright blue and Inuyasha long with her. But what caught his eye was the person kneeling between them as she had one hand on each of their chest.

Izayoi continued to give the girl her energy until she felt the she was completely healed. She pulled her hand away from Kagome as she turned towards her son and whispered, "You have done well my son. She will protect you for all eternity and she will bear you strong pups. Be happy with her." She leaned down and kissed his forehead as she turned her attention to the person standing in front of her.

It had been a long time since she had seen him, "My husband, you have done well in raising our son. He has chosen a mate that would die for him to always keep him safe. In all my years of being alive I have never seen anyone love another person the way this girl loves our son. She is very special and you must protect her."

Izayoi sighed as she continued, "My husband, my time here is short so I must speak quickly. Train the girl the way you trained me. Her powers have yet to be fully developed and you must help her reach that goal. The danger is not over and I'm afraid that these two will be put to the test once again."

Inutaisho was shocked to hear this information. He thought that everything was over but from what his mate was saying they have yet to finish the fight. "What do you mean that they are going to be tested again? Haven't they suffered enough? Why can't they leave them in peace?"

Izayoi looked at her husband and knew how he felt. "My husband, I can't answer your questions but you must heed my warnings. I must go my time here is over. They are safe for now and they will fully recover. I will always protect them they are my heart."

Izayoi faded away before Inutaisho could say anything else. He missed her terribly but he took comfort in knowing that she was watching over their son.

Inuyasha slowly started to stir as he opened his eyes. The first thing he saw when his eyes were focused was his father who was sitting by his side. He felt weak as he furrowed his eyebrows together in a question.

Inutaisho seeing his son's confusion said, "Kagome was taken gravely ill and the two of you lapsed into a comma. But the danger has passed and the both of you are going to be all right."

Inuyasha nodded his head in understanding as his father got up and left the two of them alone. But before he left the room he turned back to look at his son and he saw that he had moved towards his mate and cradled her in his arms like he usually did and fell asleep.

He smiled as he turned and left them to rest. He will be keeping a closer eye on them from now on. He didn't want anything else to happen to them.

oOo

This is the end to another chapter. I hope you all liked it.

I want to apologize for keeping you all waiting. But I have been receiving so many negative reviews for this fic that I almost quit posting it.

You will not be able to read them on the site as I have received these through emails. You are all lucky that I have such wonderful friends that convinced me to continue to post this story.

For this reason I will continue to post until it is done. Whether I will post any more stories after this one remains to be seen. I don't want to put myself through the heartaches.

Kusco is finally dead, but there is more trouble coming. Can Inuyasha's father protect them from harm? Or will the evil win in the end? You all have to wait to find out.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Lord Inutaisho went back to his office to think, he was pacing again which irritated him to no end because it was just a nervous habit of his.

He was happy to see his dead mate. She still looked just as beautiful as the day he had mated with her. It pleased him to know that she was watching over their son.

Izayoi said that the girl was special and that she had yet to reach her full potential. But the question is how to train her without Inuyasha getting in the way. He is going to be very protective of her and he will not be willing to let anyone touch his mate.

'Hmm, maybe I can devise a training plan in which both of them can learn and grow together. That way I won't have to knock him out in order to train the girl.' Thought Inutaisho as he continued to pace back and forth in his office, developing a training program that will help the girl grow in power.

oOo-

Kagome slowly opened her eyes to discover that she was back home in the Western Lands. She wondered how they had gotten them out of the processing facility after they had been captured.

She didn't remember anything at all, the only the memories she had were of her getting tortured by Kusco and this sent a shiver down her spine. She also had some vague memory of Kusco dying but she didn't know if this was real or just a dream she had.

Kagome instantly noticed that a hand was gently cupping one of her breast. She looked over her shoulder to find her mate fast asleep. He looked exhausted and she didn't want to wake him up.

She slowly moved away from him as she slipped out of his grasp and sighed with relief. She looked out the window and noticed that dawn was approaching. It would be the perfect time for a little training. It has been a while since she has done it so she wanted a light workout.

She got her clothes and went into the bathroom to get cleaned up. When she was done she peaked out of the bathroom to see if her mate was awake yet. To her surprise he was still asleep so that meant that she would be training alone today. 'Too bad, training with him would've been perfect. I had one of my best training days with him and afterwards wasn't too bad either.'

Kagome thought about waking her mate and challenging him to another fight but she saw the tired look on his face and thought better of it.

She sighed as she stepped out of their room, being quite so that she didn't disturb her mate. When she looked down the hallway there was no one around as she made her way toward the kitchen.

She wanted to get something to drink to make sure she didn't dehydrated. Plus her stomach was bothering her this morning so she found some crackers that helped settle her stomach.

She grabbed something to drink and the crackers as she walked out the back door into the morning light. She decided to go down to the training field that Inuyasha and his father used. It was big enough and there were weapons down by that area that she could use to train with. She turned on her heels and headed in that direction as she was enjoying the morning sun.

One of the guards that were roaming around the castle grounds spotted the girl going toward the training field. He signaled another guard as they followed to make sure that she was protected. They knew that if anything ever happened to her that it would be there death.

In their mind it was better to die a heroic death than be killed for their stupidity, so they kept themselves in the forest, while they protected the girl from any danger.

Kagome finally got to the training field as she walked over to the weapons rack to see what they had. She spotted a bow and a quiver of arrows and decided to start with those. She looked around for a good tree to use as a target since they didn't have any targets to shoot at.

She pulled the bowstring and took aim as she let her arrow go. She scored a direct hit on the tree as she continued to practice.

oOo-

Inutaisho had woken up early to try and get in some exercise. It's been a while since he had trained and he had to sharpen his skills again if he was going to be training the girl.

As he was walking down the hallway he caught Kagome's scent leading downstairs but his son wasn't with her. He wondered what she could be doing up so early in the morning. He followed her scent outside as he lifted his nose into the air to see if he could find her.

He didn't want her to be outside unprotected. The surrounding forest was dangerous and even though his men patrolled it someone could still get through.

He caught her scent coming from the training field he was going to use. 'This would be the perfect opportunity to start her training if Inuyasha isn't with her. It would give me a chance to see how strong she really is.' Inutaisho thought as he went in the direction of her scent and continued to sniff the area.

He smiled inwardly when he caught the scent of his men in the forest. After their last discussion they were making sure they kept a close eye on the girl. It pleased him to know that they had taken the conversation so seriously, 'and if they didn't it would be their heads.' He thought with a growl as he continued to walk toward the training field.

When he came to the field he saw Kagome practicing with her bow. She was a very good shot as she hit her mark every time.

He saw her put down the bow that she was using and picked up her sword as she went through her warm up exercises. She was very precise and her movements were fluid. Her face held her concentration as she continued with her routine. He made his way out of the forest as he approached her from the side.

Kagome sensed him before he even came towards her. She saw Inutaisho come out of the forest as he was making his way towards her. Kagome stopped what she was doing as she turned towards him and smiled. "Good morning, I didn't know that you used the field this early in the morning. I'm sorry my lord, I will leave you to your training." Kagome bowed as she tried to leave.

"Wait Kagome, you can stay, if you want I can train with you. You're a very skilled fighter but I could teach you some more moves to better your skills. Plus I'm stronger than my son. He holds back where I wouldn't." said Inutaisho as he saw the girls face light up.

"Thank you! It's been a long time since I've had anyone to practice with. I would welcome the lesson." Kagome had a bright smile on her face then she furrowed her eyebrows together in thought.

Inutaisho seeing her distress asked, "Is something wrong? You seemed worried."

Kagome looked up from the ground then she said, "Will Inuyasha object to you giving me lessons?" Her face paled at the thought of him going full youkai and attacking his father.

Inutaisho laughed at her statement, "Well I wouldn't expect anything less. He is my son after all, and the Inu Youkai have always been know for the over protectiveness of our mates. He won't let any healer touch you when you're hurt, he has to be unconscious for them to do it."

Kagome started to giggle she never knew her mate was no protective of her. "Yea I know, but I still don't want him going full youkai and attacking you."

Inutaisho understood her concerns. "I understand Kagome, but I can still handle him even in his youkai form. As a matter of fact I've handled the both of you when you turned full youkai. It was the only way to get you back here."

Kagome's eyes grew big as she heard what he had said, "I didn't hurt anybody did I?"

Inutaisho shook his head and said, "No you didn't, as a matter of fact you did have a confrontation but it was mostly with Kusco and Inuyasha was the one that killed her. As for the male that was with her your fathers guards took him away."

Kagome was relieved to hear she didn't hurt anyone.

"So, do you still want to leave or do you want to do some training?" he asked with amusement after seeing her give a big sigh of relief.

Kagome smiled brightly and said, "No, I'm staying. I never turn down free training lessons. Maybe once Inuyasha wakes up he might want to join us."

Inutaisho gave a laugh as he walked away from Kagome to get his weapon. He got his sword and then went back to her, as they got ready to practice.

He showed her some new moves with the sword that made her faster and deadly accurate. If he hadn't been wearing his armor he would definitely be sporting some new scars.

Kagome was a quick study she picked up on the new moves with ease. Soon you could hear the clashing of swords as they continued to train.

Kagome was holding her own against Inuyasha's father. He was strong and he was making her sweat for each thrust, dodge, and parry. 'Shit! He wasn't kidding when he said he was a lot stronger than Inuyasha and I can tell that he is only using a small amount of his strength.

At one point Kagome got distracted for just a second and Inutaisho attacked her as she fell backward to land on her back. Inutaisho was immediately standing over her with his sword at her throat as he smiled down at her. "Kagome, you can never loose your focus or you will lose. That's the first rule you should've been taught."

Kagome nodded her agreement if she wasn't going to be paying attention to what she was doing then she needed to just stop training.

Inutaisho lowered his sword as he extended his other hand toward Kagome and helped her stand up. They resumed their training as she continued to swing her sword with more power behind each swing.

oOo-

Inuyasha slowly opened his eyes. The room was bright as he quickly closed them to prevent himself from getting a headache. He felt that he was lying on something soft as a familiar scent reached his nose.

It was Kagome's scent and it soothed his aching body. He opened his eyes again as he allowed them to adjust. He noticed that he was back in his room and wondered how he had gotten there. His memories of the previous day were sketchy at best. He could remember only some of the events but not all.

He reached for his mate and found that she was not within his reach. He slowly opened his eyes some more to allow them to adjust to the room's brightness. He found that he was in deed back in his room and Kagome was gone from his side.

He quickly sat up and that made his head swim with the effort. He started to growl as he looked around the room. His mate was nowhere to be found as he checked everywhere for her.

He quickly got dressed as he rushed out of his room. He knew that she should be safe within his home but she had promised him never to leave his side since the last time this happened. He became enraged as his eyes started to turn blood red.

Anyone who saw him got out of his way as he rushed outside and sniffed the air. He caught her scent coming from the training field as he turned and made his way there.

His anger continued to grow as he turned full youkai. When he finally got to the training field he saw his mate and his father fighting. He became enraged thinking that his father was attacking his mate as he went charging in with claws extended.

Kagome sensed that Inuyasha was coming towards them as she stopped and said, "Excuse me my Lord, but Inuyasha is on his way here." Before she had even finished her sentence, Inutaisho leaped back as his son landed right in front of Kagome flexing his crawls.

He started to growl at his father for attacking his mate.

Inutaisho backed off not wanting to fight his son. He knew that he was trying to protect her and with them sparring the way they were he thought he was attacking her.

Kagome saw what was happening as she tried to calm her mate down. "Inuyasha… It's all right he wasn't hurting me, we were just training."

Inuyasha wasn't backing down from his father as he took a step forward ready to attack him for what he did. He was about to leap forward when he was grabbed from behind and pulled to the ground.

Kagome seeing that Inuyasha was about to attack his father got an idea. She had seen this done on a television program once and she hoped it would work. She reached out with her left hand as she grabbed hold of his hair and wrapped her arm around it. She took her right arm and brought it around his neck as she pulled him back towards her and threw him to the ground.

She quickly brought up her left hand as she started to rub his ear while her right leg went around his waist to keep him from getting back up.

Inuyasha was about to lash out at his attacker when he felt the gentle touch of his mate rubbing his ear. He quickly quieted down and closed his eyes as he started to purr.

Kagome released her hold from around his neck as she brought her arm around his chest and hugged him as she nuzzled his neck.

Inuyasha slowly opened his eyes to find that he was on the ground and that Kagome was nuzzling his neck. He quickly got his focus as he sat up and looked at his mate. He started to growl at her in frustration.

Inutaisho seeing what was going on was about to interfere when Inuyasha looked up and said, "No! This is between Kagome and me. Don't get involved in this, she's my mate and I must deal with it."

Inutaisho stopped his approach. He didn't know what was going on but he knew that his son had his control back as he backed down not wanting to interfere with his mate. He moved away to give them some privacy but he kept an eye on them to make sure that he kept his temper in check.

Inuyasha eyed his mate. He was furious for the broken promise she made to him. "Why? Why did you leave my side when you promised me that you would never do that again? You know what happens when I don't find you and you still did it."

Kagome opened her eyes wide at his statement, she lowered her eyes and said, "I'm… sorry, I thought that I was free to roam around the castle. I did make you a promise that I wouldn't leave your side when we traveling but I didn't know that I couldn't walk around my own home." Kagome lowered her head and started to cry.

Inuyasha growled low in his throat as he reached for her and put her in his lap. "Kagome, its not that you're not free to roam around the castle as you please. It's that with everything we have been through lately I don't want to lose you. I worry about your safety and the safety of our pup. Next time wake me and tell me where you're going so I don't worry."

Inuyasha held her as he rocked her gently in his lap. Kagome understood his concern but then her head snapped up at something he said, "Pup? What pup?"

Inuyasha smiled and whispered in her ear, "Your carrying our pup. That's why I'm so protective of you." Kagome eyes grew big at what she heard as the blood drained out of her face and she fainted in his arms.

Inutaisho saw what happened to Kagome as he rushed to his son side and said, "Is Kagome all right? What happened to her?"

Inuyasha laughed as he said, "She's all right dad she was just shocked to learn that she is carrying our pup that she fainted."

"Sorry about before, but she made me a promise and she has to learn how to keep her word. We were on our way back to the graduation ceremony when she decided to risk her life to check on some humans in the forbidden lands.

They were slavers and when she blew up their wagons they made ready to attack her. My demon side protected her but it could've hurt her also. I made her promise not to leave my side. I don't ever want to hurt or lose her." As he finished his statement he buried his nose in her hair and took a deep breath. Her scent made him feel calm as he held her in his arms.

Inutaisho sat down next to his son and said, "I understand but couldn't you at least waited until after the training session to tell her about the pup. We were almost done you know."

Inuyasha looked up at him and asked, "Why are you training her? You could've hurt her and the pup."

"No, I wouldn't hurt her. I know that she is carrying your pup so I was very careful in what I showed her. But I must continue with her training. I have to get her up to her full potential and soon." He looked at his son with worry in his eyes. There was an internal battle going on to see if he should tell his son what was coming.

Inuyasha saw the expression on his father face, he was keeping something from him, and he wanted to know what was going on. "Dad, why must you train her? What is going to happen that she must reach her full potential?"

Inutaisho fought with his inner self before he sighed and told his son what his mother had said. He was completely honest with his son and told him everything he wanted to know. For once they were actually talking to each other and he was listening to his sons concerns.

"I understand but her training could only go on for a few more months before she starts getting bigger to accommodate the pup. At that time I'm not going to let her train anymore. I don't want to lose her or the pup." Inuyasha looked at his mate in his arms as he hugged her, and he caressed his cheek against hers.

Inutaisho noticed that his son was very affectionate towards his mate. 'He must've picked that up from his mother. I have never been that openly affectionate towards him or his mother. I'm going to have to learn though I want my grandchildren to be happy here and I want them to feel loved by everyone, even by me.'

He saw as Kagome started to stir in Inuyasha's arms, as she slowly started to open her eyes. She sat up as she looked that the two men that were sitting in front of her and said, "What happened?"

Inuyasha chuckled at her question and said, "you fainted."

Kagome eyed him curiously as she was deep in thought. Her eyes opened wide and then she said, "Umm, did you say that I was having your pup?"

Inuyasha nodded yes to her question.

Kagome then leaned into his chest and said, "I think I'll go lay down for a while, suddenly I don't feel so good."

Inuyasha looked at her with concern and then he looked at his father.

Inutaisho just laughed and said, "Don't worry Inuyasha, she is going to be just fine. But you're going to have to reconsider letting the healers look at her from time to time because she is going to need help when the pup arrives."

Inuyasha nodded his understanding as he got up with his mate in his arms. He started to make his way toward the castle when his father called out to him. He stopped and turned back to face him.

"Inuyasha, I want you to come down tomorrow with Kagome to train. You need to be at your best also." The look he gave his son told him he didn't have a choice in the matter.

Inuyasha nodded his understanding as he turned and walked back toward the castle with Kagome.

He made it back to his room as he entered and laid Kagome down on their bed. She was asleep as he sat next to her and watched her. She was so beautiful and he couldn't believe that he was going to be a father.

He was happy that they were going to be a family but it worried him that they were still after them even here in his home. He will have to be more protective of Kagome. Now that Kusco was dead he was sure that they weren't after him anymore they would be after his mate and pup.

He saw Kagome starting to stir as he looked at her with concern in his eyes. When she opened her eyes she saw two golden ones looking at her. She smiled at her mate as he leaned down and said in her ear, "How are you feeling?" and he gave her a lick in her ear.

Kagome had to giggle at the lick she received from him, "I'm fine, you just took me by surprise when you said that." She began to moan when he started to lick her neck.

She wanted to talk so she said, "Inu… Inuyasha. I want you to tell me how you know I'm carrying your pup."

Inuyasha stopped his attack on her neck. She did have a right to know and he figured that she didn't know a lot about demons and their nature. "How much do you know about the Inu Youkai?"

Kagome furrowed her eyebrows together as she thought, and then she said, "I know very little about the Inu Youkai, I only know the things you and your father have told me."

Inuyasha took a deep breath as he tried to explain.

"Well you know that Inu Youkai are very protective of their mates. It's in our nature that once we are mated for life we stay with that one person forever.

Our senses are very keen, but our most sensitive part is our noses. Our noses tell us everything we need to know. We can detect our family and enemy. We can tell if a particular food is safe to eat or not. We can tell the emotions of others by their scents.

We can especially tell when our mates go into heat. To make sure that we continue to breed."

Kagome eyes grew big when she heard the last part of his comments as she sat up, "You can tell when females go into heat?"

Inuyasha nodded his head yes indicating that she had heard correctly as he sat up next to her.

"So, could you tell when I went into heat?" she really didn't want to ask this question but she needed to find out the answer.

Inuyasha swallowed hard as he continued, "Yes, I knew exactly when you went into heat because that scent drives us demons wild. We can't help but become animals when the female is more receptive to our advances. Its natures way of making sure that there will be a next generation of demons so our race doesn't die out."

Kagome heard what he said then she asked, "When did I go into heat?" She held her breath when she heard his reply, "Two weeks ago when I accepted your challenge."

"And how long have you known that I have been carrying your pup?" Kagome breathing was becoming faster.

"Two days after you conceived, I noticed on our way back to the graduation ceremony." He replied to his mate.

'So that means that I have been pregnant for about two weeks now and he is able to tell all this time.' Kagome continued to think as Inuyasha watched with concern in his eyes, as he continued to tell her about the inu youkai.

"Your scent changes when you're carrying a pup. It shifts just a little that most demons won't be able to tell, but it would be very clear to an inu youkai. But the mate will always be the first to know when his mate is carrying his pup. It allows us to protect them from any danger at the early stage. The females are at their most vulnerable stage when they conceive a pup and if the male doesn't protect her during this time they could loose it." When he finished he looked at his mate, she was sitting there with her head down not moving.

He reached for her but she pulled away from his touch. It hurt him deeply that she did this as he said in a pleading tone, "Kagome? Why did you pull away from me? And why won't you look at me?"

There were a lot of things running through Kagome's mind. She couldn't believe she was pregnant. She wasn't sure if she would be a good mother, she still wanted to heal people, or demons. She was so confused that she didn't even noticed what she said next, "I don't know if I'm ready to have a baby yet."

Inuyasha's eyes grew big when he heard her words. He was hurt, more than he thought possible by her simple statement. He got up off the bed as he slowly backed away from her as he said, "You don't want the pup?"

Kagome's heart skipped a beat when she noticed that he was backing up away from her. She saw the hurt in his eyes as she remembered what she had said. She reached for him but he quickly turned and ran out of the room leaving Kagome in a state of panic.

She yelled for him to stop but he was already down the stairs and outside before she even made it to the door. Kagome continued to scream out his name as she ran after him, everyone that heard her screams ran towards her to see what was wrong.

Kagome made it outside to see if she could follow him but he was gone from her sight. She couldn't detect him anywhere near by as she continued to cry. 'He left me, I've refused his touch and I refused to look at him, this is my fault. I didn't mean to say those things out loud it just came out. I do want the pup he just surprised me with the information that I was having his pup. What am I going to do now? He won't come home as long as I'm here so the only thing I can do is go back to my home.'

Kagome sighed, in her own mind she thought she had lost her mate because of her actions, as she turned and ran into the forest with her heart broken.

oOo-

Inutaisho had been in his office working when he heard Kagome yelling for his son to stop. He ran out of his office to see the girl disappearing down the stairs. He ran after her as the scent of her tears hung heavily in the air.

When he got outside he saw the girl standing there in front of him as he made his way towards her. He was about to call out her name when he saw her take off into the forest. From the direction she was heading in it looked like she was trying to run back to her home.

He took off after her as he followed her scent through the forest. She was moving at a petty good clip, if he didn't reach her soon she would be out of his land and in unprotected territory. The thought of anyone harming his son's mate inspired him to go faster.

He finally caught up to Kagome when she was less than half mile away from the barriers that protected his land. He jumped right in front of her as he blocked her path from leaving.

He took a step forward as he tried to talk in a low and soothing voice, "Kagome, what happened? Why are you crying? And why are you trying to leave your home?"

Kagome had stopped when she saw Inutaisho standing in front of her. He was blocking her way from leaving, she would move to try and go around him and he would block her escape.

She was still breathing hard when she heard questions. She didn't know how to answer him, how do you tell your mates father that you hurt his sons feeling deeply. When he misunderstood her statement of not being ready to have a baby to not wanting the pup she was carrying. She looked up into his eyes and saw that he was pleading with her to answer him.

Kagome took a deep breath and said through heart-felt sobs, "He left me. He thinks that I don't want to have his pups. He looked so hurt, I didn't mean to say those things but I was taken by surprise and I needed some time to think, now he's gone and I'm the cause of it. So I'm going home, that way he can return to his life and live it without me."

Kagome tried to leave but Inutaisho blocked her again. "Kagome listen, I can't allow you to leave the safety of my kingdom. The slavers are still after you and Inuyasha. If they can get to you then Inuyasha will follow and it could mean his death. I don't want either of you getting hurt so you're going to turn around and come back with me."

Inutaisho eyed the girl he knew that she wasn't going to go back with him the easy way. He would have to take her back by force.

Kagome wasn't thinking clearly as she took off again running into the forest with Inutaisho right behind her.

He reached for her as he pulled her into his chest and said in her ear, "You're coming back with me to work it out with your mate one way or the other."

Kagome continued to struggle in his arms as he reached up and pressed that certain spot in the back of her neck. Kagome let out a whimper and fell in his arms unconscious.

Inutaisho picked Kagome up in his arms as he looked at her, 'the pain in her eyes was great when she was speaking to me. She would really leave just so my son could be happy. She would sacrifice everything for him and my son goes and hurts her like this. He has some explaining to do.'

Inutaisho growled as he summoned his transportation cloud. He was lifted up into the sky with Kagome in his arms. He made it back to the castle as everyone was gathered around to see if Kagome was all right.

He assured them all that the girl was unharmed and told them all to get back to their duties.

Miroku was standing off to the side as Lord Inutaisho walked into the castle and said, "Miroku, follow me."

Miroku followed his lord into the lower portion of the castle. He stopped in front of this one room as Miroku reached around him and opened the door for him.

He walked in and placed the girl down on the sleeping pallet. After he made sure that she was comfortable he walked back out closing and locking the door behind him. He placed his seal on the door, then he turned to Miroku and said, "I want you to stand guard over the girl. She will not be able to leave this room because of the seal I have placed on the door. You're to make sure that she doesn't hurt herself. I'm going to go after Inuyasha."

Miroku inclined his head that he understood as he watched Inutaisho leave. He didn't relish being in Inuyasha's shoes right now. If the look on his lord's face was any indication, he was pissed to high heaven and Inuyasha was about to be on the receiving end of that anger.

oOo-

Inuyasha was running thru the forest. His heart was aching at what Kagome had said to him. He finally stopped when he reached a big tree in the forest and jumped up into the high branches. He sat down as he tried to weave through all of his emotions.

'How could Kagome say that she isn't ready to have a pup? She would make a wonderful mother. She has a big heart and she cares deeply for everything. But the look on her face said she didn't want the pup. It was a look of revulsion. She seemed to be disgusted that she was having my pup.

That look hurt me deeply that I couldn't stay by her. I had to run. I know that she is hurting right now but I have to calm down before I can speak to her. I don't want to hurt like this again.'

Inuyasha continued to sit in the tree as he thought about what had happened. He could still hear her calling for him as he ran off.

He sat in the tree for a good portion of the day when he picked up his fathers scent coming towards him. His scent told him he was in big trouble as he braced himself for the tongue lashing of his life.

Inutaisho landed right next to his son on the tree branch. His head and ears were lowered down showing his distress. For the first time, since he had his son, he smelled fear coming from him. This fear was not directed at the situation at hand but at him when he landed next to him.

He took a deep breath as he calmed himself down. He then walked over to his son and sat right next to him.

They sat there in silence for a little while as he watched his son fidget. He eyed his son from the corner of his eyes as he spoke in a nice low even tone that didn't display any anger towards him. "Do you want to talk about what happened?"

Inuyasha just sat there. His father was just sitting next to him wanting to talk. It was the first time that he wasn't yelling at him for something he did wrong. "I…I don't know what happened. One minute I'm explaining what demon senses are about and the next she's saying that she didn't think that she was ready to have a pup and the look on her face as she said that broke my heart."

Inutaisho watched his son run through all of these emotions. 'This is the reason why I've never showed my emotions. They cloud your judgment when you are trying to make an intelligent decision.' He sighed as he asked, "Why did you leave her? Do you know how upset she was when you just walked away from her and didn't give her an explanation on why you were leaving. Do you know she could lose the pup if she is upset enough and her body rejects it."

Inuyasha's eyes grew big as his heart started to race. He didn't think that she could lose the pup just by him leaving. "She's all right isn't she?"

Inutaisho looked at his son, he had to teach him a lesson. "I don't know if she's all right or not, she left after you ran into the forest. From the direction she was traveling in she was going to her home.

'She left? She went back to her home? But she said that this was her home now she said she wanted to be here with me so why did she leave? Could me leaving her behind when she was calling for me make her leave? I have to go and find her. I need to apologize to her for not stopping when she called for me.' Thought Inuyasha as he came to a decision. He stood up and jumped from the tree getting ready to follow his mate.

Inutaisho saw his son leap from the tree and he was starting to walk away. He jumped as he followed him. "Where are you going now?" he inquired as he followed his son through the forest.

"I'm going after Kagome. I'm not going to leave her unprotected. I have to convince her to return with me to the Western Lands." Inuyasha had a serious look on his face. He was determined to bring back his mate.

Inutaisho grabbed his son's shoulder as he stopped him in his tracks. "Before you go after her we have to discuss a few things." He let go of his son's shoulder as Inuyasha stopped to listen to his father.

Inutaisho took a deep breath as he stared to educate his son all over again. "Kagome has every right to leave and go back home." Inuyasha was shocked as he yelled, "WHAT!"

Inutaisho growled at his son as Inuyasha's ears went down immediately to his head. "Did you or did you not call her your bitch?" Inuyasha slowly nodded his head yes.

"Well the way you treated her she has every right to reject you as a mate." Inutaisho eyed his son to see if he had caught on to what he was saying, but his son was proving to be dense.

"When you called her your bitch you automatically gave in and submitted to her. In the Inu Youkai community, a bitch is the highest praise a female could ever receive from her mate. It takes us a long time to even think of our mates as equals. You maybe the alpha male and rule the pack but she rules you. Your going to have to beg her forgiveness and if she accepts then she can reward you but if she rejects you then you have no choice but to leave her alone." Inutaisho watched as his son face paled and he fell to his knees breathing hard.

'I don't think that I can live without her. If she rejects me what am I going to do.' Inuyasha stared at the ground as he continued to think. His breathing was becoming more and more labored. Like he was losing his will to breath. He was gasping for air as his father rushed to his side.

"Inuyasha, what's wrong?" Inuyasha couldn't answer his question he was having a hard enough time breathing.

Inutaisho picked him up and headed toward the castle. Kagome was the only one that can get him to calm down enough to allow him to breath.

oOo-

Kagome woke up with a tremendous headache. She wished that the little men who were playing the drums inside her head would just quit making her head throb. She opened her eyes to find that she was in a sealed room. The room was pretty big and she was currently lying on a pallet as she slowly sat up.

She was in deep thought, 'How am I going to get out of here.' She continued to scan the room as she saw the door to the right. She got up and made her way towards it hoping to get out of this place.

She figured that Inuyasha's father was the one that brought her here. She didn't want to come back she wanted to leave. Inuyasha hates her now and she wasn't willing to stay.

She made it to the door and when she touched the handle it sent her flying through the air as she landed on the floor on her back.

Kagome moaned as she got back up on her feet. She wasn't about to let a door get the best of her. She sent a bolt of her miko power into the door but nothing happened. She got her sword out as she went to the door and jammed the tip of the sword into the slit between the door and the frame to try and jimmy the door open, but it still remained locked.

Kagome looked at her sword, 'I wonder if that door can with stand the power of my arrow if I transformed the sword. It was powerful enough to bring down that big youkai, from what I was told, so it should take care of this little door.

She eyed her sword, then the door, and sheathed her sword back. 'It's not worth bringing down the whole castle just so I can escape from here, besides, they will come to let me out soon.

She went back to the sleeping pallet and sat down in the corner with her back against the wall. She just needed to wait for Inuyasha's father sooner or later he will let her out of this prison.

oOo-

Inutaisho was racing through the air with Inuyasha in his arms. He was still having problems breathing. He didn't know what was wrong with him or why this had happen. But he knew one thing, his mate was the only one that can probably make him relax enough to breathe.

He got to the castle as he hurried down the stairs going toward the room where Kagome was located.

Miroku noticed Lord Inutaisho approaching with a barely breathing Inuyasha in his arms, he was about to ask what happened when he heard, "Miroku, open the door." Miroku quickly did as he was told as Lord Inutaisho stepped right through the door the moment it was open.

Inutaisho quickly looked around for Kagome. He saw her sitting down in a corner of the sleeping pallet asleep. He put Inuyasha down on the bed as he reached out to touch her, but he stopped as he thought better of it and he gently called her name.

Kagome slowly opened her eyes, when they focused she saw the worried look on Inutaisho face. She sat up as she asked, "What's wrong?"

"Kagome you have to help Inuyasha. He is having a hard time breathing and I can't get him to calm down." Inutaisho said in a rush so Kagome could help his son.

Kagome's heart started to race as she looked around for her mate. She saw him lying on the sleeping pallet as she hurried to his side. She asked his father to help him sit up so he could breath easier.

Kagome's mind was starting to race, 'this is exactly the same thing that happened at my house when he was shot. I have to find out what's causing this or I can loose him one of these days.'

Inuyasha was breathing a little bit easier but he was still fighting to get air. She pulled him back as his head made contact with her chest. She started to rock him back and forth, as she started to sing to him.

Inuyasha heard the gentle heartbeat of his mate. Her scent sent a calming wave over his body as he began to relax in her embrace. She was singing to him as he closed his eyes, enjoying the comfort he received from her. His breathing evened out as he fell asleep in her arms.

Kagome looked up and stared at Inuyasha's father, she narrowed her eyes and asked, "Now what happened to make him this upset that he almost died because he couldn't breathe?"

Inutaisho looked at her as he tried to gauge her mood. "We were talking about you when he got like this. The specifics of the conversation you will have to get from him when he wakes up. I will send down some food for the both of you along with a change of clothes."

Kagome's heart started to race, 'He can't be serious.' "You're not going to keep us down here are you?"

Inutaisho looked at Kagome and said, "You are to stay here until everything is settled between you two. At least this way I know where you are and that you're safe." He turned and walked out the door making sure he sealed it as he left.

Kagome couldn't believe that he locked them in this room. She looked down at her mate and sighed. 'What do I do now? I'm stuck in this room with you and I don't know how you're going to react to me when you wake up.'

Kagome shifted her body so that she was lying down with Inuyasha. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him against her chest as she took comfort in his warmth.

Inuyasha started to whine the way he did the first night he had ever spent at her house. She reached a hand up and started to massage his ear to calm him. He immediately calmed down as he started to purr. After a while Kagome fell asleep with her mate in her arms and a hand on his ear.

oOo

A few hours later Inuyasha started to stir. He was hearing a gentle heartbeat and his head was rising and falling gently. He looked up to see Kagome sound asleep with her arms wrapped around his neck, as he felt her fingers wrapped gently around his ear.

'She looks so beautiful just lying there. Why did I have to hurt her? I don't ever want to hurt her. I want her to be happy. But it seems that lately I haven't been able to do that.' Inuyasha thought as he tried to get up without waking his mate.

He gently slipped out of her grasp as he sat up and looked at her sleeping form. He stayed like that for a while and then he looked up to see a tray of food sitting by the door and there were some clothes there too. When he saw the food and clothes it meant that his father was going to keep them down here for a while.

Inuyasha sighed as he got up and went towards the food. He put some on a plate for Kagome as he went back to the sleeping pallet. He placed the food on the pallet and crouched down a good distance away from her with his head and ears down. He gently called out to her so that he wouldn't scare her when she woke up.

Kagome started to stir as she heard someone calling her name. She slowly opened her eyes to find that Inuyasha was gone from her arms. She heard her name again and looked for the person who had called her. She sat up to find Inuyasha kneeling a good distance away from her with his head and ears down. "Inu… Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha heard that she was awake as he slowly crawled over to her on his hands and knees, as he offered her some food. He wouldn't speak to her unless she asked a question then he'd answer. He had to beg for her forgiveness.

Kagome saw the food that he offered but she was worried about him. She moved closer as she called to him again, "Inu… Inuyasha?" She moved a little closer to him as she said, "Inuyasha, please look at me."

Inuyasha raised his head to see the worried look in her blue eyes. "Inuyasha, are you feeling all right?"

"Yes" was his simple answer as he turned his face away from hers. The hurt in her eyes was too much for him to bear. He knew he had hurt her deeply.

He noticed that she wasn't eating. He moved closer to her as he crawled on all fours to reach her. He reached over and nuzzled her under her chin with his nose. Her scent was wonderful, his whole body craved for her touch but he would have to wait. "Please eat Kagome."

Kagome was breathing hard when she saw Inuyasha crawling over to her, somehow seeing him this way sent a wave of desire through her body. She felt his gentle touch on her neck and she heard his request, she wasn't interested in food right now, she wanted him.

When Kagome wouldn't move to eat Inuyasha gently licked her neck and trailed kisses there. He still wouldn't touch her. He only used his lips and tongue as her scent was starting to spike. He continued to caress her neck as he heard Kagome moan.

'God he's driving me crazy with that tongue of his.' She reached up with her hand and gently rubbed his ears.

Inuyasha moaned at the feeling, she was touching him. That was her permission for him to proceed. He got closer to her as he picked her up and placed her in his lap. He found her sweet lips and kissed her with such passion that when they pulled apart they were both having problems breathing.

He brought her closer to him and said, "Kagome, I'm sorry if I upset you but I was hurt by your comments and when you refused to let me touch you. I thought that you didn't want the pup."

Kagome heard his words as she hugged him tighter and said, "You caught me by surprise, I wasn't expecting to hear that I was carrying your pup. I didn't mean to say those words. I'm happy that I'm carrying your pup. It's the product of our love and I will love it even more when it arrives. I want to stay with you Koi. Please let me stay."

"Kagome you don't have to ask me to let you stay. Your going to stay forever, we will be together for all eternity." He lowered his head and kissed her again as she pulled him closer to deepen it. He pulled away from her as he said in her ear. "Koishii, you have to eat. You need to nourish the pup."

Kagome was moaning in his arms as he was caressing her neck, she heard his words and said, "I'll eat after we're done."

Inuyasha's ears stood straight up when he heard her words, he didn't want to hurt the pup. "Kagome, we can't, it might hurt the pup."

Kagome was already starting to remove his clothes as she said, "No it won't hurt the pup. It will just make our joining even more wonderful because when a female is pregnant it makes her…, well lets just say it makes her very receptive to the males advances and right now I want you." Kagome then pushed Inuyasha on the sleeping pallet as she was on top of him attacking his neck.

Inuyasha couldn't control in instincts as he ripped Kagome's clothes off her. Their joining was sweet; it had been too long since they had been together. They laid in a heap on the pallet trying to catch their breath when he looked up at her and said, "You weren't kidding about being more receptive." He was still breathing hard.

Kagome giggled, "If you loved that then we're going to have to take a short trip to my house and get this book I have. I think you will find it very educational."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at her and asked, "What kind of book would I find educational?"

Kagome smiled one of her most seductive smiles and whispered in his ear what kind of book it was.

Inuyasha quickly got off Kagome as he turned red, even redder than his haori. "Kagome! Why would I need a book like that?"

Kagome was enjoying seeing her mate turn bright red as she sat up on the sleeping pallet. "Well it describes in detail all of the positions. What part is best for you and what part is best for your mate. But the best part is that it has pictures that show you how to do all of these things. It will come in handy in the later months." She purred the last of her statement.

If anything Inuyasha's blush just deepened in its color. "Well, I'll see what I can do. You know that dad isn't going to let us go anywhere as long as they are after us, as you can see he can keep us locked up down here forever if he wants to."

Kagome nodded her agreement with his statement. They both got up and ate the food that was brought to them. Then they got dressed. Inuyasha wore his Hakama and Kagome wore his haori. They wanted to have something on in case someone showed up unexpected.

They laid down together as Inuyasha brought Kagome into his embrace. They finally fell asleep holding each other the way they did every night glad that they were back together.

oOo

I wanted to thank everyone who sent me encouraging reviews. Like I said I will finish posting this story. Whether or not I continue to write fan fics is still up in the air. I might just take a break and then come back with another story. I haven't decided yet. Again thank you its nice to know that so many people care.

This is the end to another chapter. As you can see Inutaisho is training Kagome to make her reach her full potential. Trouble is coming. Will Inuyasha and Kagome be able to weather the storm? Or will the enemy finally win the fight? You have to wait to find out.

Until the next time!

Ja ne!


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Outside in the forest 10 lonely figures were making their way into the castle. Their informant had told them where to locate the girl and the hanyou. They were located somewhere down in the lower level of the castle. There were no guards so it should be easy to get to them.

They had to get them while they were asleep. The hanyou was going to be the hardest one to subdue. But if they could get to the girl then they will have something he wants and will obey their every command unless he wanted his mate to get hurt.

They entered the castle under the cover of darkness as they made their way down the stairway. They paused at each intersection to make sure that they weren't detected. They would wait for a brief second, sniffing the air before continuing to the next level.

At least the castle was less populated down here so they didn't have to stop as often to see if they were being followed. They followed their map until they came upon the room, which held their prize. They got ready to attack in case the hanyou was awake and waiting for them.

Slowly they opened the door to the room as they peaked in. They saw the hanyou and the girl lying on the pallet on the other side of the room as they made their way towards them. They couldn't believe their luck the hanyou was unaware of their presence. They surrounded the pair, as they got ready to grab the girl.

Three of them came forward as they leaped to grab her. They were about there when they met with a strong barrier. It pushed them back against the wall as the male hanyou got up to face them.

"Who in the fuck are you? And what do you want with us?" Inuyasha growled as he bared his fangs at the youkai standing in front of him. There were ten of them, of all different types, as they surrounded Kagome and Inuyasha.

The niko youkai stepped forward and said, "You are to come with us. We have someone that request your presence and they don't like to be kept waiting."

Inuyasha smirked as he said, "No one commands me, not even my father, if they want to meet me then they can come here to the castle and I might grant him an audience. As for us going with you, I don't think so. We like it fine right here." As he finished speaking he brought out his sword and transformed it as he heard his mate take out her sword as well and took a fighting stance next to her mate.

The Niko youkai smirked as he yelled, "Take them!"

The demons attacked all at once as Kagome and Inuyasha let them have it. They came at them with weapons drawn as Inuyasha sidestepped and slashed with his sword. He had to keep his eyes on his mate and on the enemy that was attacking.

Kagome was holding her own against the intruders as she was blocking all of their attacks with her sword. She had gotten better with her sword; Inuyasha was going to have a hard time beating her the next time they trained together.

Four demons came at Inuyasha all at once from different directions. He leaped to get out of the way as they all crashed into each other. Inuyasha turned quickly and caught the sword that was coming down on him with his Tetsusaiga and pushed the intruder back.

His ears picked up on his mate's cry as he turned around and saw that they had surrounded her and she was in trouble. He dispatched the demon in front of him as he ran towards his mate. He leaped in front of her with his sword slashing toward the intruders to push them away, but they didn't back down.

He had enough of the demons in the room as he unleashed his attack, "WIND SCAR!" Three bright flashes of light came out of the sword as they went toward the intruders. Inuyasha grabbed his mate and pushed her into a corner of the room as he protected her from the blast.

The light made contact with the intruders as it either killed or wounded them, as the room shook from the impact of the attack.

oOo-

Inutaisho had finished up in his office and was making his way down to the lower levels of his castle. He wanted to check on his son and his mate to make sure that they were all right. They've had plenty of time to reconcile their differences and make amends.

As he was walking down the stairs he caught the scent of intruders. The scent wasn't from his guards. He stopped as he sniffed the air. They were heading down towards the lower levels where his son and mate were located. A cold chill ran down his spine as he howled for his guards.

Immediately his guards arrived and they raced down to the lower levels. They heard an explosion that shook the entire castle as the alarms started to ring out. A knot settled in the pit of his stomach as they raced down to the room.

When they got there they saw the intruders that his son had fought against. The guards quickly check them and the ones that had survived the attack they took them away to a holding cell were they could be interrogated once they were awake.

Everyone quickly spread out looking for Inuyasha and Kagome. Inutaisho yelled, "INUYASHA!" but he heard no reply. As the smoke started to settle he spotted two figures huddled together in a corner in each other embrace. He ran towards them hoping that they were all right from the attack.

When he reached them he gave a big sigh of relief. They looked unharmed but they were both knocked unconscious from the impact of the explosion. Inuyasha had shielded his mate from the blast, protecting her. He touched his son's shoulder to see if he would stir and when he didn't he moved him off his mate so he could look at Kagome.

Kagome looked fine but he wanted her to be checked by the healers to make sure the pup was all right. He looked at his son and aside from a few cuts he seemed to be all right as well.

He turned his attention towards his men and called for the sergeant of the guards. The sergeant approached with fear in his eyes. He knew what was coming as he stopped in front of his lord and bowed deeply.

"I want to know how this filth got into my castle undetected. I want the survivors to be kept under lock and key so I can talk to them in the morning. If this ever happens again it will be your head. Is that understood?" Inutaisho growled each and every command to the sergeant of the guards. The guard nodded his understanding of his orders and quickly left to do his bidding. He was glad to be alive for now.

Inutaisho turned to his son and mate again and picked them up in his arms. He took them back to Inuyasha's room as he laid them down on the bed. The healers came and checked Kagome and pronounced that she was unharmed and the pup was fine as well. They checked Inuyasha and tended to his cuts, he too had escaped serious injury.

Inutaisho stayed behind sitting by his son's side. He had failed in keeping his family safe for the second time. That's twice that the intruder has gotten into the castle but there was something that was nagging at the back of his mind.

There were only a few people who knew that Kagome and Inuyasha were down there in that room and that there would be no guards down there to protect them. He had a traitor in his mist and he had to find out who it was.

He got up and left his son's room to let them rest. There were guards posted at the door to prevent them from getting attack again. The security on the castle had been stepped up as he stormed down the hallway going towards his office. He had to think, he had to get this traitor and see who was behind all of this before something seriously happened to his son and mate.

oOo-

Naraku had been roughly taken away from the area where the enraged hanyou as at. That half-breed wanted to kill him all because he had been with Kusco.

Well at least he was still alive and being pushed into a waiting vehicle until they settled the matter on what was going on outside. He moved over to the window so he could see what was happening outside.

He saw Kusco getting the crap whipped out of her by that demon princess. He wondered how in the hell she had turned into a full demon. When they captured her she was clearly a human.

'Well those guards did say that the hanyou was the princesses husband, maybe that's what happens to human females if they take a demon as a mate.' Naraku continued this line of thought as he watched the female demon continue to whip Kusco to within an inch of her life.

He saw Kusco turn quickly around and throw a knife at the girl and she went down hard. 'Well now, if Kusco kills the girl then our problems will be over. The merging of the two kingdoms won't happen and we can still keep our slave business.'

Naraku was very happy at this thought as he continued to watch with excitement. He watched, as Kusco was about to kill the girl when the male hanyou came out of nowhere and killed Kusco. He saw that the soldiers did nothing to stop the demon.

'This is an outrage! A demon kills a human and they don't do anything about it. How can they let a savage like that walk away free when a human has been killed right in front of their eyes.' Naraku was fuming at what happened. Then he saw an interesting thing.

The female demon wasn't recognizing her mate and she was fighting him. 'This might be some good information for the future. It just might come in handy when we go after them again, because I will avenge Kusco. They won't get away with killing her, I would see to that.'

He saw some other demons come out and attack the princess and her husband. He saw the male hanyou go down at the hands of a demon that had demanded answers from him earlier; he looked a lot like the hanyou. He saw him place the hanyou on the ground while he looked at his wounds.

Naraku then turned his attention towards the girl. She was fighting off three demons by herself. He turned away for just a second to look at the hanyou and then brought his attention back to the girl. When he looked again the girl had a bow in her hands, 'I wonder where she got the bow from?'

He watched as the girl aimed her arrow at the demons in front of her then she turned completely around and aimed it at his precious building. He saw the arrow impact on facility, he heard a rumble, and then the next thing he saw was his precious facility lying in ruins. There was nothing left but a big pile of rubble. 'I'm ruined, that fucking bitch just brought my facility down like it was nothing.'

He saw the girl get attacked by the other demons as they ensnared her for the moment. He saw the other demon with sliver hair come quickly toward the girl then she slumped in his arms not moving.

Once he saw them leave he moved away from the window and sat down. 'Their going to pay for this, one way or the other, I will make them pay dearly for killing Kusco and destroying my facility. They just cost me a whole lot of money and I'm not about to let them get away with it.'

He heard a commotion going on outside. Then the sound of keys scraping against the lock as the door opened. They threw one of his men into the vehicle none to gently and closed the doors quickly behind him.

Naraku eyed him cautiously he was wearing the uniform of one of the facility guards but he didn't recognized him. "Where do you work? I don't remember seeing you before and I make it a point to know all of my employees."

The man was struggling to get up from the ground. He wanted to be seated before they left the area. Those guards tying his hands behind his back made it difficult to move but not impossible. He managed to sit up then he stood and seated himself on the bench seat before the vehicle drove away.

Once the vehicle started moving he said, "My name is Shawn and I worked on the 6th floor guarding the little runts. I have only been here at the facility for about a week."

Naraku eyed him and said, "Well nice to meet you Shawn, My name is Naraku, the person who owned that facility, now it just a big pile of rubble."

Shawn nodded that he understood as he turned to look out the window. He eyed Naraku out of the corner of his eye. He sat there looking calm, cool, and collective like he was planning something. He had to make sure that he went with him.

It was, after all, part of Inutaisho plan. He didn't trust this human and he knew that he might escape to cause his son some more harm. So Shawn, with a concealment ring on, allowed himself to be captured, so that he could be put together with Naraku to follow him.

The vehicle they were traveling in pulled off the road and headed into the woods. He didn't know what was going on but he was about to find out. It stopped, once there was no more road left to travel on.

The guard got out of the truck and then unlocked the back doors. He stepped into the back and proceeded to unlock Naraku's handcuffs.

Naraku rubbed his wrist as he said his thanks to the guard and stepped outside of the vehicle. The guard gave Naraku back his bag. Naraku reached into the bag and pulled out a pack of bills and gave it to the man in appreciation for letting him go.

Naraku was about to walk away when Shawn yelled out, "Hey! What about me? Aren't you going to let me go?"

Shawn had to do some fast thinking. "Well even if you don't know me I know enough to keep my mouth shut. You can release me and I can get on with my life. But if you asked me nicely enough then I might be willing to go with you and help." Shawn hoped that he had convinced the old goat that he was trust worthy.

Naraku turned up an eyebrow and then smiled at the young man in front of him. 'I like this kid, he reminds me of me when I was his age. He turned to the guard and said, "Release him."

The guard nodded and then released Shawn. Shawn walked out of the vehicle rubbing his wrist. "Thanks old man, I'll see you around."

Shawn started to walk away when Naraku called out to him. "Hey Shawn, how would you like to come work for me? I could use a smart kid like you." Shawn smiled, "Sure, I have nothing better to do. Plus I could use the money." Shawn turned and followed Naraku into the forest.

They were walking deeper into the forest. They continued to walk until they got to a big cave. Naraku walked in with Shawn trailing right behind him. He thought that Naraku had lost his mind walking into an empty cave.

Naraku walked right up to the cave wall at the end of the tunnel. He found the little nub in the wall and pressed it. The wall began to shake as it moved aside. Revealing an inner chamber. He stepped into a large room, with Shawn being right behind him, which held a lot of computer equipment.

Naraku had surveillance camera's everywhere. He saw the activity going on at the processing facility. He had cameras at King Higurashi house. There were cameras at Kagome's house checking to see when she returned so they would know about it.

Shawn was very impressed at the elaborate setup. Naraku didn't skimp on equipment when it came to this room. He had a clear view at everything that was going on around him. He had surveillance on the other processing facilities as well trying to stay up with what the competition was doing.

Shawn continued to look around. He looked at all the cameras that the king had in his home. 'Hmm, they must be tapping into the security cameras and getting images from there because it looks like he can see just about every room except the more privates rooms in his home.' Shawn continued to look at the different angles of the cameras filing the images away in his memory in case he had to go there. He wanted to make sure that he wasn't detected.

Naraku walked up behind Shawn and said, "Well what do you think of my setup?"

Shawn looked over his shoulder at Naraku then back to the screen in front of him, "This is the most amazing set up I have ever seen. Are you connected to the entire city?"

Naraku smiled and said, "Almost, there are a few places were we still need to establish a connection but we have the majority under surveillance."

"But why do you need to have everything under surveillance? I mean your rich and powerful so why do you have to spy on people?" Shawn's curiosity was genuinely peeked.

"Because my dear boy if you want power, then knowledge is what you need. If you watch to see what your enemy is doing then you can be one step ahead of them. In this way you can always squash the competition." Naraku had a big smile on his face as he continued.

"As you will see, once I find the princess and her disgusting husband. They will pay for destroying what was mine and they will pay with their lives for killing Kusco."

Shawn nodded his head in understanding. Naraku was a ruthless person who didn't care who he hurt as long as he got money for his efforts. He wanted more than anything to get back at Kagome and Inuyasha for destroying his facility and more so for killing Kusco. He seemed to have loved her but he's keeping that part of him a secret for now.

Shawn spent the next couple of days getting to know the lay of the layer. He knew were everything of any importance was located. Naraku was keeping him close by as if he was molding him into someone like himself.

Shawn took the bait because he needed the information on what was going on. He wanted to get as much details as possible so he could relay the information back to his lord. He also knew that this assignment was going to be a long one so he had to act the part of a very interested young man that wanted to learn the tricks of the trade.

Naraku showed him everything that he was planning but he would never mention any of his contacts. Shawn tried to get some of that information but Naraku was very illusive of the person or persons he was getting his information from. The best Shawn could do for right now was to be as detailed as possible so his lord could figure out who was behind all of this.

oOo

Shawn had come out of his sleeping quarters and went towards Naraku office like he had done on the previous days. As he entered Naraku office he saw him sitting behind his desk and he was in deep thought. He went towards the TV screens and acted like he was interested in what was going on in them. He saw Naraku getting up as he walked around his desk and headed towards the door.

"Shawn, follow me." Shawn turned away from the TV screens he was looking at as he followed Naraku down a hallway into another room. When they walked in Shawn was amazed at what he saw, there were maps of the Western Lands.

He had very detailed information on where the castle was located, training fields, armories, soldiers quarters, their strength, locations of guards on duty, and everything he needed to know about the castle strong points and weaknesses. He would have to report this to lord Inutaisho as soon as possible.

Shawn turned toward Naraku and smelled the rage that was coming from him, 'Something must've happened for him to be this angry.' Shawn waited for a bit to see if Naraku would volunteer some information, but when he didn't say anything he broke into the silence.

"Is something wrong? You seemed pissed about something." Asked Shawn as he watched Naraku out of the corner of his eyes.

Naraku sighed and said, "There was an attack last night at the demon lords castle. We received word that he had locked the girl and the hanyou in a room down in the lower portions of the castle. I sent in an attack team to capture them and bring them back here. But the hanyou is a lot stronger than I thought. He blasted away half of the lower level killing almost all of my men. The ones still alive were taken prisoners. Hopefully they will keep their mouths shut."

Shawn eyed Naraku as he was speaking he was clearly pissed at losing the fight with Inuyasha. For him to have knowledge about what was going on inside the castle meant that someone was a traitor to them. They were constantly feeding information to Naraku on what was going on. He had to find out who that someone was.

"Well, I'm sure that there will be other opportunities for you to take, you just have to find the best one and then move with it." Said Shawn as he watched Naraku expression.

Naraku looked up from what he was doing, 'I like this kid. He is a wealth of knowledge and maybe he can help me get these two. I want them to pay dearly for what they did.' "Yes, your right there will be other opportunities for me to get them. I have another plan that is in the works. This time they will not get away from me.

We are going to gather our forces and we will go to the Western Lands and take them by force. Once I have them both they will pay with their lives for what they did."

"What are you planning? You can't be serious about going to the Western Lands. How are you going to get through the barrier? From what I have been told it's very strong." Shawn was trying to get some information from Naraku but he didn't know how much information Naraku would disclose.

"Don't worry about that I have a plan to get us through the barrier once on the other side they should be easy to capture. For now all I can do is plan. It will take time to put this plan into motion and time is on my side. I will have them and they will pay for what they did to me and Kusco." Naraku continued to show Shawn different aspects of his plan.

Shawn listened intently to what he was saying he had to gather enough information to warn Inutaisho. Naraku only told him what was common knowledge. He did tell him that he had two demons that were working for him and they were the one's feeding him the information about Kagome and Inuyasha whereabouts and movements. He had to get this information back to his lord as soon as possible. He had to protect Inuyasha and Kagome.

The tour of the facility continued. Shawn had now finally seen the complete lay out of the place and committed it to memory. He asked some of his comrades if it was permissible to go outside at anytime. They told him that they weren't allowed outside but that some of them would sneak off to get some fresh air. They just couldn't stand living underground.

Shawn waited until one of them was ready to sneak outside and he went with him. They enjoyed their freedom for just a few minutes and then slipped back inside undetected. But before Shawn left, he placed something under a rock that he found as he walked back inside with the other guard.

Once the humans had gone back inside the underground layer a small raccoon came out of the forest and found what Shawn had left behind. He lifted the rock with ease as it grabbed the letter in its mouth and took off with it deep into the forest.

The raccoon was still running in the woods making sure no one was following him, when he was satisfied that he wasn't followed he turned into a hawk and continued his head long flight back to the Western Lands.

oOo

After Inutaisho had found his son and mate unconscious in the lower part of the castle he stepped up security. Guards were now station every few feet in the castle hallways. They knew that if they failed to secure the castle this time it would be their necks.

Inutaisho was pacing in his office again, as he growled his frustration. 'There has to be a leak somewhere in the castle for those intruders to know where to find my son. It's the only explanation for them being down there.'

Those demons that they had captured last night after the attack were not talking. They refused to tell him who their boss was and why they wanted his son so bad. He had guards placed around them to make sure they wouldn't escape to inform their leader of their failed attempt. He had to keep his son and mate safe.

He continued with his nervous habit when something flew in his window. He turned to see a hawk on his desk with something in its beak. He walked over to it and got the letter that was addressed to him.

Inutaisho walked around to his desk as he opened his desk draw and pulled out a metal box. He opened it and the hawk went wild with excitement. Inutaisho pulled a small piece of meat out of it and gave it to the bird as he happily ate it and he put away his box.

Inutaisho turned to the bird and said, "I want you to keep a eye on him, make sure that he isn't hurt. If you see him in danger get him out of there and then return directly to me."

The hawk understood his commands as it left his office and flew off into the darkening skies. Inutaisho watched as the bird left. He knew he could trust him he was a very old friend of his and he had agreed to help him in this little venture.

He was glad that he had come up with this plan at the spur of the moment, they had to scramble to make it work but it did. With Shawn firmly seated deep in this humans layer he will be able to keep track of him.

Inutaisho opened the letter as he began to read it. This letter confirmed his suspicion that he had a traitor in his mist. But he was surprised to learn that it was two not one. He had to be on this toes to protect his family from now on and protect them he will.

He continued to read the information provided to him by Shawn and noticed that this human had a lot of information about the Western Lands. He even knew of the castle strength and weaknesses. This was new information, he would have to take care of those weaknesses and make sure that no one saw him do it. He took note of everything Shawn had said in his letter.

He went back to his desk as he started to make a list of everyone that he had told of Inuyasha location. He then started to put them into groups so he could start rumors and see which ones got back to that human. Shawn would relay what that human knew and that's how he would find the traitors.

He finally left his office sometime in the middle of the night. He went to check on his son and saw two guards standing outside his son's door guarding him. He eyed both of the guards as he entered the room.

He saw Inuyasha lying in the bed in the same position he was in before. He walked over to him and noticed that he was sleeping peacefully and so was his mate. He walked over to the window and placed a seal there to make sure that no one would enter through the window to harm them. He wanted to make sure that they were well protected.

With the seals on the windows and the guards at the door they should be safe for the night. He walked back out and closed the door behind him as he placed a barrier on the door without anyone noticing that it was there. He turned toward his guards and said, "Their asleep. No one is to go into the room is that understood?" Both guards nodded their head in understanding as they saw Inutaisho leave the area to go back to his room.

They both breathed a sigh of relief once their lord was safely away from them.

oOo

Inuyasha slowly started to open his eyes, he noticed that he was lying on a bed as his eyes tried to focus on the area around him. His memory of the previous day was starting to come back. He remembered getting attacked and unleashing the power of his sword.

He sat up with a start as he remembered protecting Kagome from that blast. His head started to spin the moment he sat up in such a rush.

He was breathing hard as he tried to get his breathing under control and looked for his mate. When his eyes finally came into focus he saw that he was in his room and that Kagome was lying next to him on the bed.

He crawled over to her and checked her. She was breathing and he picked up the sound of his pup's heartbeat. He sighed with relief as he nuzzled Kagome taking in her scent. He had thought that he had lost her in the fight with those demons last night.

He sat up as he held his head, "Note to self, never unleash the power of the Tetsusaiga in a small room." He continued to rub the temples on his head as he closed his eyes trying to get rid of the headache that he had.

"You better not do that again." Groaned his mate from his side as he stopped rubbing his temples to look at her.

Kagome was lying in bed rubbing her temples as well as she slowly sat up to look at her surrounding. She sighed as she said, "Why don't they leave us alone? All I want is to live in peace and be happy. All my life someone or something has been always trying to kill me. I'm getting pretty tired of it."

Inuyasha reached for her as he brought her closer to him, he wanted to comfort her as he said, "I don't know why they won't leave us alone, but I will protect you with my life."

Kagome looked up into his eyes and saw his determination to keep her save. She looked out the window and saw that dawn was approaching and said, "We better get down to the training field, your father will be waiting for us."

Inuyasha nodded his agreement as he released her and Kagome got off the bed and headed into the bathroom with a change of clothes.

When Kagome emerged from the bathroom she noticed that her mate had his back to her and didn't even notice that she was there. She had a wet towel in her hand and got an evil smirk on her face. She was in a playful mood this morning and wanted to get her mate there as well.

She quietly made her way towards him as he was leaning down getting his sword, exposing his butt to her. Kagome took the towel and grabbed it on each end then she quickly spun the towel around in a circle until it was coiled tight in her hands. When she was within reach she snapped the towel on his butt as Inuyasha let out a howl of anger.

Inuyasha quickly turned around, after he felt someone hit him on his butt, to find that his mate was laughing her ass off at him. He got irritated as he bared his fang and pounced on her.

Kagome was ready, she wanted to get his blood going this morning and she was doing a pretty good job at it. She quickly dodged his attack as she turned and raced out of the room with Inuyasha chasing right after her.

The guards standing on either side of the door looked on with curiosity as they saw the pair running down the hallway. Laughing and yelling at each other as the hanyou chased his mate. The guards went to the window and signaled the other guards that were outside that Inuyasha and his mate were leaving the castle and that it was their turn to watch them.

Inuyasha was yelling for Kagome to stop and come back but Kagome just continued to run while she was laughing. She was getting faster as Inuyasha had a hard time keeping up with her.

She ran through the castle as she was teasing Inuyasha. She would stop and let him catch up to her and then she would escape and continued to run through the castle. They chased each other up and down the stair and down the hallways running around like two small children playing.

Inuyasha had to admit he was having a great time chasing his mate throughout the entire castle as he watched his mate run out into the forest.

The sun was slowly rising over the horizon as Inuyasha continued to chase Kagome all over the forest. The guards were having a hard time keeping up with them as they tried to follow them to protect them. They were going so fast that they couldn't keep up. Never before had they ever had a hard time keeping up with Inuyasha. But then again he wasn't chasing after a female and that made all the difference in the world.

Kagome was still giggling as she ran. 'Well I think I got Inuyasha blood going this morning, this run has definitely gotten me loosened up for the training ahead. I think I'll head back in that direction. We need to be there before his father gets to the training field.' Thought Kagome as she changed direction and headed back toward the training field.

Whenever the two of them got together they powers grew. It was the strangest thing it was like they were feeding off each other and that was making their powers grow.

As Kagome was approaching the training field she started to slow down just a bit, she thought that Inuyasha would to the same. He came right up behind her and grabbed her as they went flying through the air and landed on ground with Kagome cradled in Inuyasha's arms to prevent her from getting hurt.

Inuyasha looked down to see if Kagome was all right, he smiled as he kissed her and brought her closer to him. When they pulled apart he said, "You know that you are going to pay for what you did to me in the room right?"

Kagome giggled as she said, "Only if you beat me today mate."

It was another challenge and he smiled a wicked smile at her as they both got up off the ground. They made their way toward the weapons rack as they were about to get started with their training.

The guards that had been chasing them through the forest finally arrived at the training field, they were all out of breath and happy that they were safe. They all thought the same thing; they had to get into better shape if they were going to be chasing Inuyasha and Kagome through the forest because they were just too damn fast.

They called for some more guards to come and take their place so they could rest. The guards formed an outer circle around the pair, as they were getting ready to train, making sure that no intruders got near them.

oOo

Inutaisho was in his room asleep when he heard the growls and the laughing of a girl running through the castle. He sat up with a start thinking that his son was under attack again. But when he heard the laughter of the girl he relaxed and fell back against his bed. He looked outside and noticed that dawn was slowly approaching.

"What are those two doing up so early in the morning. Couldn't they wait at least another hour before they woke up the entire castle?" He grumbled as he sat up in his bed and rubbed his eyes in frustration. He had only gotten a few hours sleep and he was not in the best of moods.

He got up and got dressed as he noticed that the girl had taken the chase into the forest. He saw his men scrambling to follow them into the forest to protect them. 'Hmm, I will have to tell them to stay out of the forest. They could easily be attacked and it would take time for my men to get there.'

He left his room and started to make his way toward the training field. He spotted his son and mate already in the field as he heard the sound of swords clashing in the near distance.

Kagome was definitely getting stronger and more accurate with her swing. She had more control and was moving a lot faster than the last time he had seen her wield a sword.

Inuyasha was getting better as well. He had a lot more control of the sword and was more precise with his swings. He still saw him holding back but not as much as he had done in the past. He wondered if they had another bet going like they did the last time they had sparred.

He walked onto the field and sensed that his guards were everywhere keeping an eye on the two in front of him. He continued to watch until he decided to join the fight to see how the pair will do together in combat. He would go after Kagome to see how Inuyasha would react to his assaults on her.

He pulled his sword as he charged in going towards Kagome.

Kagome and Inuyasha were enjoying the fight they were having. Kagome was so intent on what she was doing that she didn't sense Inutaisho approaching her. Inuyasha reacted with lighting speed as he blocked his father assault on his mate.

Kagome realizing her mistake quickly turned around and met the next swing head on as Inutaisho pushed Inuyasha away from him and went after the girl.

Kagome was blocking all of his hit but she was unable to launch an attack of her own. She kept him at bay until Inuyasha came back into the fight. His anger was peeked as he charged his father with the full weight of the Tetsusaiga. He attacked without mercy and Kagome joined in the fight.

Inutaisho had yet to use all of his strength against his son and the girl. They were still weaker than him as he kept pressing them to do better. He was use to this kind of fighting so for him it was just good exercise.

He caught Kagome as she was swinging down with her sword and knocked it out of her hand. Inuyasha was immediately there as he caught the next swing and pushed his father back with such force that it took Inutaisho by surprise.

He looked at his son and smirked. "Finally, you get to tap into that hidden strength that you've been hiding, now lets see what you've got."

He attacked again as he increased his power towards his son. Inuyasha meet every thrust, jab, and parry that his father gave and continued to push him back to make sure he didn't get anywhere near Kagome.

Kagome was on the ground panting as she saw her mate and his father going at it. She looked for her sword and started to make her way towards it.

Inutaisho seeing this rushed his son and knocked him on his butt as he went after Kagome.

Kagome saw what was happening and it struck fear in her heart. She stretched her arm out to the side and summoned the sword into her hand as his sword was coming down towards her.

She blocked the swing and became enraged that he had come after her with such force. She used her other hand as she sent a blast of her miko power into his stomach as she pushed him back throwing him half way across the field where he landed on his back, unconscious.

Inuyasha seeing what was happening ran towards his mate. He grabbed her by her neck and pinned her to the ground as he saw her eyes turn red. He kissed her as her temper slowly started to go down and when he pulled away from the kiss he looked to see that she was back to normal.

Inuyasha quickly got off her as he looked at his father; he wasn't moving from the blast that Kagome had given him.

Kagome looked on in horror as she saw what she had done. They rushed over to him as Kagome kneeled in front of him and checked his wound. He had a burn mark on his chest and Kagome started to cry. She placed her hands on his chest and slowly healed his wounds. When she was done Inutaisho slowly opened his eyes and saw the hurt look in Kagome's eyes.

He sat up with a groan as he rubbed the back of his head. He looked over to see that Kagome was sitting in Inuyasha's lap and she was crying. He looked at her wondering what was wrong. "Kagome? Why are you crying?"

Kagome looked up from Inuyasha shoulder and said, "I hurt you! I didn't mean to hurt you. I lost control and I almost killed you." Kagome buried her head in Inuyasha's shoulder again as she continued to cry.

Inutaisho sighed as he said, "Kagome, in order for me to bring out your full potential we have to train vigorously. If you constantly worry about hurting anyone then you will never be able to defend yourself.

When I was training Inuyasha's mother I had to do the same thing to her. She gave me the same blast you did and then had to heal the wounds she caused. She almost gave up on her training but I convinced her not to, she was powerful, but you my dear have a lot more power than she did so I have to be a little bit more careful around you.

Your power is great, more so when you channel your anger into the attack. You have to learn to control that temper of yours just like Inuyasha has to control his. There is a time when you must unleash that anger and use it to defend each other." He sat there looking at Kagome as he was speaking to see if he had quieted her fears.

Kagome had stopped her crying and was listening to Inutaisho as he spoke. He had a point he had to get out her full potential if she had to defend herself. She pulled away from Inuyasha's shoulder and looked at him. She was still shaking as she asked, "How are you feeling?"

Inutaisho laughed as he said, "I feel just fine. But its you that I'm worried about."

"I'm fine just tired." Stated Kagome as she rested her head back on Inuyasha's shoulder.

"Well I think we will call it a day for the training. I will see the both of you again tomorrow morning." He looked at his son and then at Kagome as she nodded her agreement.

He got up and left the two of them alone as he looked down at his armor. 'Hmm, I going to need some repairs done to this thing. Kagome is strong. She blasted a hole right through this armor with just one blast of her miko powers.' He smiled as he continued to walk back into the castle.

Inuyasha continued to hold Kagome as he rocked her. He looked down at her and asked with a worried voice, "Kagome? Are you sure you're all right?"

Kagome looked up and saw the worried look on his face as she smiled and said, "Yes, I'm all right. I'm… I'm sorry Inuyasha that I hurt your father. I didn't mean to hurt him."

Inuyasha just brought her closer to him and said, "I know you didn't mean to hurt him." Then he chuckled, "I didn't know that your temper was worse than mine, you actually look pretty when you're mad."

Kagome's eye flashed with anger at his comment and was about to give him a piece of her mind when he captured her lips in a heated kiss. Her anger faded away as she relaxed into his arms and enjoyed it. When he pulled away he said, "Come on, let's get something to eat and then you can rest."

Kagome nodded her agreement as she slowly stood up along with Inuyasha. They both walked slowly back to the castle to get some food and some much needed rest. They had a very busy morning and they were both tired.

oOo

Inutaisho was in his office when he heard a knock on his door, he put away what he was working on and then said, "Come in."

Inuyasha opened the door and stepped into his father's office. He wanted to ask him for a favor as he approached.

Inutaisho eyed his son carefully, was something was bothering him and he was there to see him?

Inuyasha swallowed hard and then said, "Dad, I want to know why you attacked the both of us at the same time." He wanted to know his training methods for his mate. He wasn't about to let his father hurt her in anyway, shape, or form.

Inutaisho raised an eyebrow at his son and then answered, "I wanted to see how you two would do when a stronger opponent came towards you. Anyone stronger than you would be able to overpower Kagome and subdue her to get to you.

I wanted to see if you're able to protect her if that was to happen. When you tapped into your energy to protect your mate you unleashed a greater power from within you. You have to know how to tap into that power whenever you need it."

Inuyasha took everything his father said to heart. He had tapped into some greater power that he didn't know he had. When his mate was in danger he was able to bring it out.

Inutaisho saw his son deep in thought and then he added, "Your training isn't over yet. We will continue to train and develop your powers along with Kagome's. You will have to fight multiple fighters to see if you can still protect her and her you.

I'm sorry but this must be done before the real threat comes here and gets a hold of you two. I want to protect you and I will do everything within my power to do so but if they get by my defenses then I have to know that you can take care of each other."

Inuyasha now knew what his father had planned he will try to prepare Kagome as best he could so that she won't be taken by surprise. He looked at his father and said, "I understand your concerns about our safety but I have a request. Kagome wants to go home and get some things from her house. It won't take long and we can travel there and back within a day. I want your permission to go."

Inutaisho was taken by surprise by his son's request. He didn't think that the girl would want to leave the safety of the castle. She must've said something to Inuyasha for him to come here and request that they be allowed to go. 'Hmm, this might be the perfect opportunity to see where that leak is coming from. I can start several different rumors and see which one makes it back to that human. That way I will be able to trace it back to its source.'

"I will have to think about your request. Once I'm satisfied that the way is clear down to her house then you will be allowed to go. But until that time I'm requesting that you stay here." He saw his son's face light up when he didn't turn him down. He agreed to his terms as he said his goodbyes and turned to leave.

Before he walked out of the door, Inutaisho looked up from his work and asked, "By the way Inuyasha how is Kagome doing?"

Inuyasha stopped by the door and turned to his father as he said, "She's resting for now. She was still upset that she hurt you but she has agreed to continue with her training."

Inutaisho nodded his head in acknowledgement to his son and he left his office heading back towards his mate. He turned his attention back to what he was working on before his son paid him a visit as he pulled out the paperwork from his desk draw.

He was working on all the weaknesses of the castle as he was slowly making them stronger without anyone noticing what he was doing. He had finished with that task as he was beginning the task of spreading the rumors around that Inuyasha and Kagome were going back to her kingdom.

Inutaisho set about laying his trap. He had to place three rumors to three different groups of demons:

1. That he was going to leave the castle and take his son with him. That Kagome was to stay behind in the castle to be protect by his army.

2. That Kagome and Inuyasha were heading back to the girls kingdom for a short visit.

3. That Kagome and Inuyasha were to leave the castle to a predetermined place where they will be kept safe until the people that wanted to do them harm were caught.

These were the three rumors he spread to see which one would get back to the human that was after his son.

oOo

A few weeks had passed and he received no word from Shawn that they knew anything about the three rumors he had spread.

Inuyasha was by a miracle, waiting for him to reply when they could go back to the girl's home. Their training had been excellent they were both growing in power, strength, and control.

Kagome had gotten better with her temper not getting in the way of their training, although she would lose control of it from time to time. Some of their guards had to be healed by her after she lost control when five of them attacked her at the same time pinning her to the ground.

Inuyasha seeing what was about to happen yelled for them to move away but they were still caught in the blast that she released. After Inuyasha had calmed her down she healed all of their wounds.

Inutaisho sighed he would have to give his son permission to go soon. Kagome was starting to show, you could barely see the little bulge on her stomach, and soon she will not be able to travel. He would not allow her to leave the safety of the castle once she was showing. Everyone will then know that she was carrying Inuyasha's pup and so far that secret has held and not traveled back to that human, at least not the he was aware of.

Inutaisho made up his mind he would let them travel back to the girl's home with no guards. They could travel faster than his guards ever could it was embarrassing at times. He would have to place guards along the way to keep the road opened for them and to help if they were to get into any trouble, but he was going too. He would be watching from a safe distance to make sure nothing happened to them.

Inutaisho made his way out of his office and went towards the gardens. That's where Kagome and Inuyasha had been spending their time together.

He found them sitting under a tree just enjoying the sun. Kagome had fallen asleep against Inuyasha's chest as the cool breeze whipped around the couple.

Inuyasha had one hand on the small bulge of her stomach while his other arm was around her upper body keeping her close to him.

Inuyasha saw his father coming and raised his head to great him. When his father stopped in front of him he had a concerned look on his face.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at his father and his father said, "I have decided to let you go to the girls house. We will clear the way for you and your mate to travel. I'm allowing you to travel on your own because the guards can't keep up with you two but they will be placed in the forest in case you need help.

You have two day's, I don't want Kagome to push herself too much. Enjoy your time alone." Inutaisho smiled when he saw how red his son cheeks had gotten from his remark as he turned and walked away.

But before he walked too far he turned and said, "Oh and Inuyasha, if you don't return by night fall on the second day, I will send the army after you."

Inuyasha swallowed hard as he heard his father threat. He would have to make sure that they were back before nightfall on the second day.

Inuyasha was surprised to hear his father say that they could go back to Kagome's house. He was more surprised when he told him that they could travel on their own. He knew that his father will have the guards placed in the forest in case of threats but that meant that he could finally be alone with his mate, something that he has been wanting for along time.

He gave his thanks to his father and waited until his mate woke up to tell her the good news. His purrs usually knocked her out for about two hours. If she were really tired it would be more. But he knew they couldn't leave until morning. He had to give his father time to set up his guards.

When Kagome finally woke up from her nap he told her what his father had said. Kagome was very happy that they were being allowed to go home, 'Finally I can have some alone time with Inuyasha without being surrounded by a hundred guards and in my own kitchen.' She missed having a kitchen all to herself and cooking.

They went back to the castle to get ready to leave the next day. Kagome still had to tell her mother that she was going to be a grandmother. She was sure that she would be happy for her and she had some questions she needed to ask her.

They went to bed that night, happy that at least they would be alone to enjoy each other.

Kagome was too excited to sleep that night she was already planning the day for them. She had a plan in case they were being followed. That way they wouldn't interrupt her day.

She laid still in Inuyasha's embrace. She learned a long time ago that if she didn't rest he would put her to sleep.

Dawn was approaching and Kagome started to stir. When she moved her mate gave her a growl of annoyance for being awakened. He started to purr to put her back to sleep but she had other plans. She reached for his lips and gently massages them with her own. She wanted his attention.

Inuyasha felt the warm lips against his and a gentle tongue running across his lips asking for attention. He growled as he captured the lips of his mate and stopped purring. This was much more enjoyable than sleeping at the moment.

They finish about an hour later and then started to get ready to leave. Inutaisho met his son outside to say his goodbyes. He also told his son that he would be gone for a few days but if he thought that they could stay away longer to think again, he would be back before nightfall tomorrow.

Kagome and Inuyasha visibly sighed as they turned and walked into the forest. Inutaisho watched until they were out of site and then went back into the castle.

He walked up to one of his commanders and said, "Are all of soldiers in place in the forest to guard them as they travel?"

The commander smiled and said, "Yes my Lord. Our soldiers are all posted along the way." Inutaisho gave his nod of approval as he walked away.

The commander was smirking as he saw Inutaisho walking away, 'Yes, we have guards posted along the way but they're not your guards they are only loyal to me and our common goal of not letting the two kingdoms combine.'

The commander continued to smirk, as he saw Inutaisho walk away. Yes, they will not let the two kingdoms be united, even though his son was mated to the girl the kingdoms will not become one until they both took over to rule over the lands. They had to get to them before that happens.

oOo

Well that's the end to another chapter. As you can see Naraku is not going to give up on his prey. He is watching the city very closely to see when they would return to the Southern Kingdom.

But what will happen once they travel back to the Southern Lands? Will they be captured? Or will Inuyasha and Kagome find a way to outsmart Naraku? Well you have to wait to find out.

I have a question I want to know if you readers know what kind of book Kagome was talking about. Leave me a review and then I'll tell you what the book is with all of its pictures, and no its not a magazine. So lets see how many of you guess correctly. I will put the answer in the next chapter.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Kagome and Inuyasha entered the forest and started making their way towards Kagome's home. Kagome stretched to make sure her muscles were loose before they started on their run. It would be good exercise to get their blood going. She looked at her mate and said, "Are you ready to go?"

Inuyasha smiled and said, "As ready as I'm going to be."

They both took off into the forest running at full speed. The only thing that you could see where they had gone was the trail of leaves that were pulled into the vacuum as they ran by.

They continued to run until they got to the edge of the forbidden and protected lands. There they stopped for a rest before they continued on their journey. Inuyasha was looking at his mate and fussing over her. He wanted to make sure that she was feeling all right and that she wasn't over exerting herself or hurting the pup. Kagome assured him that she was feeling fine and that the pup was doing all right as well.

Inuyasha had picked up on a presence moving towards them. Kagome had the same feelings too as they both got up, looked at each other and then took off running back to her house. They wanted to avoid a confrontation with anyone and they had no desire to fight. They sure as hell didn't intend on getting captured by anyone.

They made it to Kagome's house in about two hours, where it would've normally taken them over five hours to make the trip. They walked hand in hand as they approach Kagome's house, glad to have made such good time in getting there.

Kagome sensed something in the area. It felt out of place in the normal peaceful surrounding of the forest near her home. She stopped walking as she opened up her senses to see what was out of place.

Inuyasha noticed that his mate had stopped walking and was looking around the area. He approached her as he opened his scenes to see what was wrong. She looked into his eyes and then said, "Follow me," in a whisper.

They turned and went into the house and when the door was locked behind him he saw Kagome putting her hands together concentrating. He knew what she was doing she was putting up a barrier around the house. When her eyes opened he quickly asked, "What did you sense outside that caused you to look around the area?"

Kagome looked into his eyes and then whispered. "They put cameras around the house to see when we would be returning. I know there located in the trees and if you smash them then they will be coming here in a hurry. They already know we're here and I don't want them coming into the house, so I placed the barrier around it to protect it."

Inuyasha stepped forward and held his mate in his arms. This news took him by surprise as he tightened his grip on her. "Maybe we should get what we need and leave. I don't want to put you in any danger."

Kagome looked up at him and frowned. "Inuyasha, I don't want to be forced to leave. I was actually looking forward to making us some food and trying out some of the things that book has in it before we go back. Plus, I have to speak to my parents, they have the right to know that they have a grandchild on the way."

Inuyasha looked at her and agreed. He also didn't want to be forced away from here. Then a thought came into his mind. "Umm, Kagome, do you think they set up some of those cameras here in the house?"

Kagome shook her head, "No, my seal wasn't broken so no one has been in the house." Inuyasha visibly relaxed as they entered the house.

Kagome went to her library and got the book that she had told Inuyasha about. When Inuyasha looked at the book he turned bright red again as he sat down and started to read it.

Kagome giggled as she saw the interest he had in the book, she left him to his reading as she went into the kitchen. Kagome checked her refrigerator and noticed she needed to get a few things from the store. She wondered if Inuyasha would be up to exploring the city, do some shopping, and just basically be a normal couple for a while.

She went and got changed, and then she went in search of her mate. She found him in the same place she had left him with his nose buried in the book she had given him. She giggled as she approached him and said, "How would you like to go shopping with me?"

Inuyasha looked up from his book with a raised eyebrow, "Kagome, if you say that they know we're here how can we go out. I don't want to risk putting you in danger."

Kagome smiled one of her most perfect smiles and said, "If I can guarantee that they won't know its us are you willing to come with me and just be a normal couple for a while. I want to be a normal girl for just a little while without having to be guarded everywhere we go. Please Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha heart just melted at her plea. He knew what she was talking about. He just wanted a normal life with her. So against his better judgment and to make her happy, "If you can figure a way that no one will recognize us then yes I will go with you."

Kagome eyes lit up as she jumped for joy and landed in his arms, kissing him in thanks. When they separated Kagome had a big smile on her face as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a necklace for him to wear. It was a gold chain and on it there was a golden heart pendant.

Kagome held it in the palm of her hand for a moment before she reached up and put it around Inuyasha's neck. At first Inuyasha hesitated but when he saw what it was he allowed her to put it around his neck.

There was something inscribed on the heart it said, "I'll love you forever." He looked up at her and then he asked, "It's really nice Kagome but why did you give me this?"

Kagome arched an eyebrow and said, "Humans often give something of value to the one they love, and it's usually something that we can treasure for all eternity. But your gift serves two purposes. One is that it tells you how I feel about you and two it holds a concealment spell for you. In order to activate it all you have to do is hold it in your hand and say, 'Human form.' It will give you a human appearance. Why don't you try it out?"

Inuyasha looked from Kagome to the pendant. He sighed as he held it in his hand and said, "Human form."

The necklace started to glow as the spell was cast. His hair turned black, his ears went from the top of his head to the side, his eyes changed from golden to auburn in color. He looked a little older. His scent was different too. He smelled like musk, soft and pleasing to the nose.

Kagome's eyes grew big as she watched him transform. She had no idea he was going to look like this. She liked what he looked like as a human but she preferred him as a demon but for her purpose this disguise will work just fine. "You now, you don't look bad as a human." She said as she caressed his cheeks. "But I still love my Inuyasha the way he is, cute ears and all." She said as she continued to giggle.

Inuyasha looked at her like she was crazy he still felt the same. "Woman, what are you talking about? I'm not a human."

"Oh really?" Kagome pulled a mirror out of her pocket and gave it to him. When he looked in it instead of seeing himself he saw someone else. He dropped the mirror as he looked at his mate in shock.

Kagome giggled at his reaction as she said, "We can go out like this and no one will know it's us. We can have a few hours of just being around normal people for a while. With no one chasing us or trying to kill us."

Inuyasha looked at her, as he narrowed his eyes, and said, "Did you plan all this?"

Kagome giggled and said, "Yes, I did."

Inuyasha growled, he hated being tricked, but then he got a wicked look in his eyes as he said, "All right I'll go, but I want to get some of this stuff that the book mentions."

Kagome agreed to his request not knowing what kind of stuff he wanted to get. As long as they spent some time together as a normal couple, she really didn't care.

Inuyasha got up and went to change his clothes. He came back a few minutes later with baggy blue jeans, red muscle shirt, and a white button down shirt he looked quite handsome.

They were about to leave when Kagome thought of something. "Inuyasha, if they're outside watching we can't let them see us in this form. We're going to have to go in our normal form then hide and use the concealment spell. That way we'll loose them and they'll leave us alone."

Inuyasha agreed with her plan as they left the house in their normal form and got into Kagome's car as they drove away.

Kagome opened her senses and felt when they were being followed, she knew that they would be there she had sensed them. She told Inuyasha that they were being followed and he understood the situation.

They drove to the mall to see if they could lose their pursuers. Kagome parked her car near the entrance as they both got out of the car and made their way into the building.

Kagome sensed when they followed them inside the building. They headed toward the bathroom facilities as they separated and went into their respective bathroom. When they came back out, a minute later, they had the concealment spell on.

They saw several human males heading toward the bathroom in a rush. They were moving people out of the way trying to get in there. They came out a few minutes later and were frantically looking around for Inuyasha.

Kagome and Inuyasha watched as the people that were chasing them started to spread out all over the mall, looking for them. The happy couple continued to go about their normal business knowing that their plan had worked to throw the slavers off their trail.

oOo

Lord Inutaisho was in his office getting ready to leave. He didn't want to be too far behind his son and mate just in case they got attacked. He was determined to protect them and that's what he was going to do.

He had summoned Miroku into his office to make sure that he kept an eye on things while he was gone. He wanted a full report upon his return on anything that happened while he was away. He told Miroku of his suspicions and who to keep a close eye on. Miroku nodded his understanding, as Inutaisho got ready to leave.

He told his men he was going to the northern parts of his land to settle a dispute. He took off in that direction as everyone watched him leave. When he was far enough away he doubled back and headed towards the girls home. He flew low over the trees; he didn't want to get spotted as he traveled.

After traveling for a while he found his son and mate. He kept his distance because he knew the girl would be able to detect him. He saw them resting for a little while when he saw the girl sit up and then they left the area in a big hurry. He wondered what was going on when he saw them.

There were humans and demons chasing them as they continued to travel toward the girl's house. The intruders weren't able to keep up to the pair as they traveled. 'I wonder where my guards are at? And why aren't they protecting them like they're suppose to?' He thought as a small growl escaped his lips.

He looked around the area and didn't find any of his guards. He found other demons in the forest but they were not part of his royal guards. Then it dawned on him. He had asked Commander Tou if his men were set up and on guard. He had assured him that they were placed within the forest to guard the two as they traveled. But he didn't see anyone in the forest only those who wished to do his son and mate harm.

He took off after Kagome and Inuyasha to make sure they were safe. He was now glad that he had followed them. He knew something like this would happen.

When he arrived at the girl's house he saw them running inside the house as a powerful barrier was put up. He could probably break it, but with great effort on his part.

He remembered what Shawn had told him in his letter. They had put cameras in the area to keep an eye on the house to see when they would return.

He found one of the cameras as he spotted the rest in the trees. He made sure to stay hidden from them. He settled on a high tree branch to wait. He had a good view of the house and of the enemy that was currently surrounding the house.

An hour went by and he saw his son and mate leaving the house to go somewhere. 'I wonder were those two are going? Can't they tell that they're being followed?' a growl escaped his throat as he thought this.

He took off after them when he noticed the intruders were also following them. 'These two are proving to be incorrigible. They came here to get a few things for Kagome but end up going out, unprotected, to who knows where.'

He saw the car they were driving pull into a place humans like to call a mall. There were a lot of humans and demons in this place, too many for his taste. He saw the girl park the car near the entrance. They both got out and made their way into the building in front of them.

He saw the opportunity to cast his own concealment spell. This spell was different from the one they wore when they came to get Kagome. Instead of just hiding his demon features it made him look human.

His hair turned a sandy blonde in color as his ears became normal. He was casually dressed in a pair of kaki slacks, black long sleeve shirt, and he looked to be in his mid 50's. His eye color went from the normal golden color of his family to a very light brown. His once long silver hair came to about the middle of his shoulders blades as it was pulled in a low ponytail, as the marking on his face faded away.

With so many demons in this place the girl will have a ruff time trying to detect him. He walked in behind them to see where they were going. He saw them walking towards the bathroom as they split and went in their respective one's.

Inutaisho waited outside for them until they were done. He was keeping an eye on the facilities when a young man stepped out and walked by him. He looked familiar. He was dressed in much the same way as Inuyasha but his button down shirt was red instead of white. He met a young lady with sliver and black hair as she exited the restroom. They both embraced and walked away, hand in hand, to do some shopping.

Inutaisho noticed several humans running into the facilities like they were in a hurry. He got the feeling that they were looking for his son as they pushed their way into the bathroom. They came back out a few minutes later as they were searching for someone. He took it that his son was no longer using the facilities as he gave everyone the slip, including his own father.

Inutaisho chuckled to himself, 'those two knew exactly what they were doing. They knew they were being followed so they made sure they got into a very populated area and then gave everyone the slip. They must have a concealment spell that Kagome cast because that's the only way they could've gotten by me.'

He turned his head slightly and sniffed the air. He couldn't pick up on their scent. It simply just vanished. He would have to ask Kagome how she did that because it takes a very powerful miko to cast a concealment spell like that and also change ones scent.

He walked around the building he was in. He was amazed at everything he saw. It was like a big open-air market but indoors. He liked this concept as he thought about bringing it to his kingdom.

He decided to look around the place for while, keeping his eyes on the slavers that were searching for his son. He had no idea where his son and mate had gone to but if he had to guess they were still in the mall watching everything going on.

He continued to walk and spotted the couple he had seen in front of the restrooms. He looked at the young man and he looked familiar for some reason. He knew that he had never met him before but his features intrigued him.

He noticed that the couple would walk hand in hand or the male will always have his hand around the girl's waist. He always had to be touching her in some form, never leaving her side for an instant.

It reminded him so much of his sons action with his mate. The young mans features looked so much like his late mate that… He never got to finish his train of thought as a big smile spread across his face.

'I have to hand it to Kagome, her concealment spells is one of the best. Even though I didn't break her spell, I've noticed enough about their behavior with each other to be able to pick them out in a crowd.' He mused as he continued to follow the pair from a distance.

He noticed that the slavers were still roaming around the mall trying to find Inuyasha and Kagome but to no avail, to them they had simply vanished.

oOo

The slavers were looking frantically through the mall for the demon and the girl. They had thought that they would get him while he was indisposed, but that would've been too easy. When they had gotten in there and they checked all of the stalls, their prey was gone.

They rushed out of the restroom thinking that he had given them the slip. They waited outside the other restroom to see if the female would come out. Females tended to take a long time in the facilities, but it seemed that she too was gone.

They spread out, looking for them everywhere in the mall, but they couldn't find them. They all gathered back about an hour and a half after they had lost them.

"How, in the hell, could we have lost them that easily, we saw them go in but no one has seen them leave. If they're hiding then they're doing a very good job of it." Said the slaver that was in charge.

He was trying to weigh his options. He needed to find them so they could take them back to Naraku. The slaver held his hand up to his ear as he was listening to something being said to him. Then he said, "Alright here's what we're going to do. Half of you will continue searching the mall for our fugitives, the other half will go outside and get by the girls car. We know its still outside and they won't leave without it."

The group of slavers split into two groups, half of the slavers continued searching for them in the mall. While the rest of the slavers went outside to where the girl's car was located. The slaver that was in charge told everyone to spread out, he wanted the car watched closely incase they came back in a disguise.

oOo

Kagome and Inuyasha had a wonderful time just being a normal couple. She had taken Inuyasha to the store that had many of the things their book had described. She saw as his eyes widen at some of the things, confused at others, and a mysterious gleam in his eyes on the stuff he wanted to get. She only hoped that she would be able to weather what was to come.

They were about to leave the mall when Kagome stopped in mid stride. She closed her eyes and concentrated, as she focused on the surrounding area. When she opened her eyes she saw Inuyasha's worried auburn ones.

She looked at him with concern as she said, "Inuyasha, the slavers are outside waiting for us. They're by the car watching to see who gets in it, if we go out there now they will attack us.

Inuyasha considered her words, "Well, we can always run back to the house and leave the car here. You can call you mother and arrange for her to pick it up later for you and take it back to the house."

Kagome was listening to what he was saying, they were laden with packages and she was tired. She didn't think she should push herself anymore or something might happen to the pup, and then Inuyasha would be heart broken.

"Yes, we could make it back to my house but I'm tired and I don't want to risk hurting myself or the pup. But what you just said gives me an idea. I'll call my mother and have her send a car for us. That way I can tell them about the baby." Kagome said as she looked at her mate to see if he would agree.

Inuyasha agreed to her request as they walked back into the mall and found the nearest pay phone. Kagome quickly dialed her mother's number and spoke to her. She told her where she was located and if she could send a car after them. She told her to tell the driver to wait out front by the main entrance and when two strangers got into the car have them brought back to the house.

Kagome mother was confused to say the least but she didn't ask any questions, she would wait until her daughter arrived before she got some answers.

Kagome and Inuyasha moved to the main entrance of the mall and waited. When they saw the limousine pull up Kagome motioned for Inuyasha to follow. He followed her but he was keeping his senses open for any threat directed towards them. When they got there they opened the door and got in. As soon as the door was shut the driver took off, not asking any questions.

When the car pulled away from the curb two other cars quickly joined it as one maneuvered to the front and the other stayed behind, escorting it back toward the king's house.

Inuyasha held Kagome tight in his arms. He hated being vulnerable with his mate but he was determined to keep her safe.

About 15 minutes later they arrived at the kings house. The car pulled into the driveway and stopped right in front of the door. The driver's companion quickly got out of the front seat of the car and opened the door for them.

When Kagome and Inuyasha stepped out of the car they noticed that security had been stepped up around her fathers home. Guards were everywhere as they slowly walked up the stairs to reach her parents home.

Kagome opened the door and stepped in. She knew where her parents were as she started walking down the hallway. She stopped after taking about 5 steps as she turned to her mate. She rose up on her tiptoes and said in his ear, "Don't talk or remove the concealment spell. The slavers might be watching us from the security cameras in here."

Inuyasha nodded that he understood as they continued to walk down the hallway. They entered her father's study as she saw her parent turn in their direction. When they saw them they frowned, they wondered who in the hell were these people.

Kagome stepped forward looking around the study, she spotted the camera in the corner of the room. When she reached her parents she bowed and said, "May we have a word with you in private?"

Kagome looked at her father and her eyes moved toward the camera that was sitting in the corner. King Higurashi caught on to what she was doing and said, "Yes you may, please follow us."

He got up and his wife followed suit as they left his study and walked toward the more private parts of the house. They reached a room that was like a small den that only he and his family used.

Once everyone was inside the room he said, "This room has no security cameras in it and its inspected everyday by my most trusted men for any spy or listening devices. It's safe to talk in here." King Higurashi watched the expression on the girls face as he was speaking; it went from tense to relaxed as she looked at the young man standing next to her.

Kagome looked up at her mate and nodded her head as they both raised their hand up to their chest and muttered something underneath their breath.

The King and Queen stood there in shock as they saw the young couple in front of them slowly turn into their daughter and son in law.

Kagome smiled as she said, "I'm sorry but I couldn't tell you out there because the slavers might be tapping into your security system to see if we are here."

King Higurashi couldn't believe what he was hearing. "How can they tap into our security system? They're not supposed to be able to do that."

Kagome raised an eyebrow at him and said, "It wouldn't be hard for them to do daddy. They could intercept the signal going to your security system and they will be able to see and hear everything going on here." The king never knew that this could even happen. He would have to be on his guard from now on.

"Well," said Kagome as she shifted nervously from one foot to another. "We arrived here this morning to get some things from the house and I needed to talk to the both of you."

The king and queen were listening intently to what their daughter was trying to tell them as she continued, "Well you see, Um…" she never got a chance to finish as Inuyasha said it for her, "What Kagome is trying to say is that she is having my pup."

The king and queen looked at him with a confused look on their faces as Kagome blurred out, "Baby."

The confusion turned into happiness as Kagome's mother rushed forward and congratulated her and Inuyasha.

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief at her parent's reaction to the news. They were happy that she and Inuyasha were having a baby. She turned to her mother and said, "Mom, can I talk to you in private for a moment I need to ask you some questions."

Her mother smiled and then escorted her daughter out of the room to let the men talk for a while. It was time for some mother daughter bonding and she had a hunch what her daughter wanted to ask.

Inuyasha was nervous. He has never been left alone with Kagome's father before. He sat down in the chair indicated by her father as his mind traveled elsewhere. He was thinking about what Kagome had said to him, 'humans often gave things of value to the one's they love because they would treasure it for all eternity.' He wanted to give her something of value but he didn't think he could find something in his kingdom that she would like.

He was so deep in thought that he never heard Kagome's father speaking to him as he was brought out of his thought by a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Inuyasha? Are you all right? You seemed to have something bothering you."

King Higurashi continued to look at Inuyasha as he tried to figure out what was wrong.

Inuyasha sighed as he said; "there's nothing wrong. I was just thinking about something that Kagome said this morning." His hand automatically going to the pendant that he had around his neck.

King Higurashi saw him holding onto the pendant and asked, "Does it have anything to do with the pendant your wearing?"

Inuyasha nodded his head yes to his question. The king then asked, "What did she say?"

Inuyasha didn't know if he should tell him what she said. He never really talked to his father about these things or anything at all for that matter. But the look on her fathers face told him that he wasn't going to get out of it.

So he relented and told him what Kagome had said about the pendant. "The thing is we don't have these things in my kingdom. We don't have a use for them. But I would like to give her something that she would cherish for all eternity."

King Higurashi sat back in his chair and thought about his problem then he got an idea. "Inuyasha, when humans marry they usually give their wife/mates a ring that they wear on their finger. It signifies that they belong to someone else and the ring is something they cherish for all eternity."

Inuyasha's ears perked up at what he had said, then they went back down as a frown appeared on his face. He looked at King Higurashi and said, "That would be the perfect gift but my time here is limited and we must leave in the morning. I don't want to leave Kagome alone and unprotected, plus I don't know where to go to buy such a thing.

King Higurashi eyes just lit up as he smiled and said, "Leave that to me."

He got up and left the room they were in as he sought out his wife. He found them in their bedchambers talking as he entered the room. Both his wife and daughter looked up at him as he approached and said, "Inuyasha and I are going out for a little while. We should be back in about an hour."

Kagome's eyes grew big as she heard her father's words and said in a worried voice, "Where are you taking Inuyasha? I don't want anything to happen to him." The worry in her voice told her father of her fears of him getting captured by the slavers.

"Don't worry Kagome, I will make sure he stays safe, as to where we're going well that's of no concern to you. We will be back within the hour. You are to stay here and my guards will protect you while we're gone." Her fathers stern voice told her she couldn't argue with him as she relented and agreed to his demands.

As soon as he left the room Kagome started to shake and worry about what might happen to her mate. Her mother seeing this brought her into an embrace and said, "Don't worry Kagome your father will make sure that nothing happens to Inuyasha."

Kagome looked up from her lap and nodded her head in agreement that her father would keep her mate safe.

King Higurashi walked back into the den where Inuyasha was waiting for his return. "Inuyasha I want you to come with me. We are going out for about an hour. I have already told Kagome that we are leaving and that she's to stay here to be protected while we're gone."

Inuyasha's eyes grew big, as he was about to protest leaving his mate behind, "Inuyasha, do you want to get her the gift we were talking about. This is your one chance to do it. She will be well protected here. My soldiers will see to her safety. No one will harm her while she's here." Said King Higurashi as he eyed Inuyasha with interest.

Inuyasha sighed, 'he has a point. I do want to get her a gift and this will be the only opportunity I will have to do it.' "Alright, I'll go but I don't want to be gone for too long." As he finished speaking he reached up with his hand and grabbed the pendant and muttered something under his breath as the concealment spell activated.

They both left together as the king's car was sitting outside waiting for them. They got in and took off toward the downtown area as they rode in silence. Inuyasha was worried about Kagome and leaving her behind, he was feeling her fear and frustration as they traveled. He hoped that she wouldn't be too mad when they finally got back.

They arrived at a very fine Jewelry store in the center of the downtown area. The place was completely empty except for himself, the king, and the bodyguards that were with them. The shop owner hurried over to them as he bowed profusely welcoming them into his store.

"I had them call ahead and arrange for the store to be empty while we're here. Why don't you look around and see if you can find something that you would like to give Kagome." Said King Higurashi as he watched Inuyasha move cautiously toward the display cabinets.

Inuyasha moved slowly forward as he looked at all of the shinny things that he could pick out. Nothing looked good to him. It was either too big that would take up most of Kagome's hand or too small that you could barely see it. He continued to look around until he came upon what he was looking for.

The ring was simple. It had a clear heart shaped diamond in the middle. The stone wasn't too big but at the same time it wasn't too small. It had small little blue diamonds on each side of the ring that looked like flowers and the reddest stone he had ever seen accented it. He thought that the ring would be perfect for his mate as he stared at it.

King Higurashi saw when Inuyasha had stopped and was fascinated with one ring. He walked over to him to see what he was starring at. The ring he had picked was beautiful, he was sure that his daughter would love it.

He signaled the store manager to come over and had him pull the ring from the display case. The manager quickly complied as he put the ring in front of them for their inspection.

Inuyasha picked it up and knew that this was the ring he wanted to give his mate. King Higurashi saw a smile creep over Inuyasha's face as he told the store manager. "We'll take the ring," and asked the manager to gift-wrap it for him.

Once Inuyasha had the ring in his hand he put it safely into one of the many deep pockets of his pants. He turned to King Higurashi and said, "We need to get back. Kagome is upset and she hasn't calmed down since we left."

King Higurashi raised and eyebrow at him as they walked out of the store and said their thanks to the manager. Once they were back in the car he asked, "How do you know that Kagome is upset?"

Inuyasha looked at King Higurashi and said, "The mating mark is more than just a scar that Kagome carries. I can feel her emotions through it and even though I'm sending calming feeling to her she's still upset."

King Higurashi was intrigued as he asked, "What else can you feel though the mark?"

Inuyasha thought for a few minutes, he would tell the king some of the things, but not all. "Besides her emotions I can feel when she is in danger. I can protect her through the mating mark, if I'm not there, until I reach her. The first attack the offending male receives is a powerful blast of my youkai, with each subsequent attack being less effective.

I can also follower her with the mark. If she was ever kidnapped then I will be able to track her. If I loss her scent for some reason the mating mark draws me to her, we're connected."

King Higurashi never knew that a mating mark could be so versatile. He sometimes wished that humans had these abilities.

They finally made it back to the house, as they got out of the car and quickly made their way inside. They made their way back to the more private parts of the house, looking for Kagome.

Inuyasha heard Kagome's whimpering as they approached the den. They opened the door as they stepped in and a very emotional Kagome came running up to her mate. She flung her arms around his strong body in a tight embrace.

Inuyasha saw her coming as he opened his arms, when she hit his chest his arms went around her small frame and held her tight in his embrace.

The queen walked over and said, "She's hasn't stopped crying since you left and I couldn't get her to lay down for a while. She really needs to rest."

Inuyasha understood what she was saying. With Kagome being this upset she could lose the pup if she didn't calm down. He held her closer as he started to purr.

Kagome immediately started to relax in his embrace and calmed down. Soon she fell asleep in his arms as Inuyasha picked her up and held her.

Both the king and queen were amazed that he was able to calm their daughter so quickly and that she had fallen asleep in his arms. They looked on as Inuyasha walked over to the couch and laid Kagome down so she could rest. "How were you able to do that? We have never been able to calm her before when she has been this upset."

Inuyasha had pushed away the hair from Kagome's face as he gazed upon her beauty, she had calmed down and so had the pup. He heard the King and Queens question as he looked up and said, "When I purr it sends a soothing feeling to Kagome. It relaxes her to the point that she's calm and falls asleep. She has a tendency of not sleeping when she's upset. So on those nights I'm able to calm her enough so she can sleep.

Usually my purr's will knock her out for about two hours but if she's really tired she will sleep longer." Said Inuyasha as he turned his attention back to his mate.

The king and queen both shook their heads at the young man sitting in front of them. He was full of surprises and knew how to handle their daughter. They left the room to give them some privacy as Inuyasha stayed to protect his mate and let her rest before they headed back to Kagome's house.

oOo

Lord Inutaisho had been following his son and mate as they enjoyed their time alone with each other. He knew that they just wanted to be normal and be like everyone else. But their births had put them both in a situation where they had to be protected constantly, always surrounded by guards.

He saw them as they were heading for the exit of the building and knew that they were leaving. He followed as he saw them stop before going outside and he heard Kagome's comments. They had felt the danger outside and knew that they were waiting for them.

He continued to follow them until they left in a car that came for them. He knew where they were heading as he saw several cars fall into place as they left the area.

He stayed behind to see what the slavers where going to do when they finally realized that they were actually gone from the area. About an hour after Kagome and Inuyasha had left Inutaisho left the mall to check on his son and mate. He wanted to make sure that they were well taken care of.

He got to the kings house and noticed that there was a lot of activity going on around the house. More guards were being posted and several cars were brought to the front of the house. Several minutes later he saw King Higurashi and his son leaving the house and getting into the car. He heard crying coming from inside the house and knew that it was Kagome, they were leaving her behind as he saw the cars drive off in the direction of the city.

He was curious to see where they were going that they would leave Kagome behind and in tears. She was well protected, judging by all of the guards around the house and the demons keeping a watchful eye for intruders, so he decided to follow his son.

When the cars finally stopped he saw them get out of the car and enter a building with about five bodyguards. The remaining five that were left stayed outside to guard the building against intruders.

He wanted to see what they were doing but the guards on the outside prevented anyone from entering or passing by the building. So he had to settle for watching from a distance.

They came out about half hour later as they all got back into their vehicles and left. They were heading back to the kings house.

When they arrived he saw his son hurrying to get into the house. No doubt Inuyasha was sensing his mates distress at him being gone.

He felt a wave of happiness come over him, as his son was finally reunited with his mate and a sense of calm came over the house. No longer did he hear Kagome's cries as the house fell silent once more.

He settled down to rest for only a little while. He wanted to go back to the mall to see if the slavers were still there watching Kagome's car. When he saw that his son and mate weren't leaving he made his way back to the mall, knowing that his son was well protected.

When he got back to the mall he saw the slavers gathered around Kagome's car. He saw one of them doing something to the engine, as he paid close attention to what they were doing and what they saying.

"Well, if there gone from here sooner or later they will come back for the car. When they do, they will have a little surprise waiting for them. If we can't capture them then their deaths will be just as good." Said the leader of the slavers as they walked away from the car to head back towards their headquarters.

Inutaisho had heard everything they had said, 'so they planted something that would destroy the car once his son and mate got into it to drive away. I have to warn them some how. I can't let them get in the car and get injured.'

Then he noticed several men approaching the car. He recognized the men as King Higurashi personnel body guards as he quickly made his way to their location to warn them about the car.

The guards were slowly making their way toward the princess's car, they had orders to take it back to her house and leave it.

The guards opened the doors and were about to get in when a demon suddenly appeared before them scaring the crap out of the guards.

"I'm Lord Inutaisho, Lord of the Western Lands. I saw the slavers do something to the car that will make it explode when moved, so don't touch it." Said Inutaisho with concern for the men's safety.

The kings guards upon hearing Lord Inutaisho words bowed deeply and said, "We thank you for saving our lives. We would've surely died if we had started the car and drove it away. We will call for some specialist that will take care of this problem. Again thank you my Lord."

Inutaisho inclined his head towards them in acknowledgement. He was about to leave when he stopped and asked, "Are Inuyasha and Kagome still at King Higurashi home?"

The guard turned back to him and said, "No my Lord, they were escorted back to the princesses house about 20 minutes ago. They should be arriving there in about 10 minutes."

Inutaisho thanked the men for the information they provided as he turned to leave. He leaped into the air so fast that the men thought that he had just disappeared into thin air. He was heading back towards Kagome's house to keep watch.

oOo

Kagome started to stir from her nap as she felt an arm draped over her waist lightly touching her stomach. She turned her head to the left and found that she was resting upon Inuyasha's lap. He was asleep as his hair was draped over his face. She slowly started to move so she wouldn't wake up her mate but it was too late as he snapped his eyes open and looked at her with concern.

He sat up as he allowed her to slowly sit up next to him. He brought her closer to him in an embrace as he held her in his arms. He leaned down and asked, "How are you feeling?"

Kagome sighed as she said, "I feel tired but other than that I'm fine." She stayed there in his embrace as she closed her eyes again. She was trying to get her emotions under control. The thought of her almost losing her mate when he left her behind was an experience that she didn't want to live through.

She now knew why he never wanted her to leave his side. They were so much a part of each other that if anything ever happened to either of them it would be devastating.

She finally got control over herself as she looked up into his concerned eyes and said, "Inuyasha, were did you go this morning with my father? Why couldn't I go with you?"

Inuyasha saw the hurt that was there as he sighed and tried to explain, "Kagome your father took me to a place where I could get something for you. I started thinking about the gift you gave me and I wanted to get you something that you could cherish for the rest of eternity. If you would've gone with me then it wouldn't have been a surprise now would it."

Kagome was surprised by his answer. She never wanted to make him feel bad because she gave him a gift. She felt horrible for worrying so much as she said, "I'm sorry Inuyasha, it's that I was afraid of losing you to the slavers. I don't want you to be captured. I know that together we can protect each other but when you left with my father I felt helpless to help if something would've happen to you."

Inuyasha brought her into his lap as he kissed her passionately. When they broke apart they were both panting for air as he leaned his forehead against hers and just breathed in her scent. Her scent was wonderful as it sent a calming feeling through his body.

He pulled away from her and reached into his pants pocket. He pulled out a small box and handed it to her.

Kagome looked at the small box in her hand with curiosity as she sat up straight and started to take the paper off with care. When she finally succeeded in getting the paper off she opened the box and her eyes went wide.

It was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen as the tears started to go down her cheeks. Inuyasha seeing that she was crying, panicked, "Kagome what's wrong? Don't you like the ring I got you? Your father said that human females wear these to signify that they belong to someone and that it's something that you will cherish forever."

Kagome looked up from the gift as she wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug as she said, "Oh Inuyasha it beautiful. I love your present."

Inuyasha was relieved to hear this as he took the ring out of the box and placed it on her ring finger and said, "This ring signifies that you are my mate. It also shows you that you have my heart in your hands. I love you Kagome, I'm happy that you're my mate, my wife for all eternity." He leaned down and kissed her once again as he held her in his arms.

Kagome couldn't help but melt into his embrace as he slowly lowered her down on the couch as they continued to kiss. They were both getting aroused, when they finally broke apart and Kagome said through heated pants, "Lets go… home mate."

Inuyasha smiled as he agreed and they both got off the couch in search of her parents.

They found them in her fathers study as the concealment spells were back on. Kagome stepped forward and said, "We wanted to thank you for hospitality, and we're going to leave now. We hope to see you again really soon."

King Higurashi rose to his feet as he said, "Before you go I have something I wanted to show you." As he lead them back to the more private parts of the house. When they reentered the den he said, "I'm not going to let you go and get your car from the mall. I will have my people get it and then take it to your house. There is a car outside that is waiting to take you back to your house."

Kagome couldn't believe that her father was acting this way towards them as she said, "Daddy why can't I go get my car? I'm sure that by now the slavers are gone and we can get it."

Her father stood his ground as he said, "I don't believe that they are gone yet. In any case I'm not going to let you get into any danger. A car will escort you to your house and guards will be posted around the house until your departure tomorrow. At least this way I know that you can rest in peace for the night without anyone attacking you out there."

Kagome had to give in to her father's request as she sighed and said, "Alright, we'll take the car back to the house. Here are the keys to my car. Just have them drop it off and put the keys under the door mat."

Her father took the keys and agreed to her request as he had a smile on his face from winning the battle with his stubborn daughter.

Inuyasha was watching the whole time as the two sparred with each other. Both were stubborn and neither wanted to back down. He finally saw his mate give into her father, as a smirk appeared on his face, at her father's triumph.

At that moment Kagome's mother came into the room as she said, "Kagome, now that you're married this necklace rightfully belongs to you. It was my job to hand it down to my daughter when she married. You're to keep it safe. It has been passed down from mother to daughter for generations. Your job is to pass it down to your daughter when she marries." She stepped forward and put the necklace around the neck of her daughter.

Kagome looked down at the necklace her mother had given her. It was the same necklace she had worn to the dinner, the night that Inuyasha had come and asked for her hand in marriage. She remembered that the jewel had a special shine to it when she wore it and when she held it now in the palm of her hand it glowed a pretty blue for her.

Kagome looked at her mother and smiled as she said, "Thank you mother for the gift. I promise to give it to my daughter when she marries." Kagome stepped forward and hugged her mother in thanks.

When they separated Inuyasha and Kagome left to go back home with the guards, once again, escorting them back to where they needed to be. They enjoyed their freedom at least for a few hours.

King Higurashi was true to his word as he had about 50 guards surrounding Kagome's house in the forest. They had transformed back into their regular form as they stepped out of the car they were riding in. They gave the driver their thanks for bringing them home as they entered the house and got some much needed rest before they went to the Western Lands.

oOo

Lord Inutaisho made it back to Kagome's house to find that King Higurashi was not taking any chances on his daughter getting attacked. He counted 50 guards roaming around the property when he finally saw his son and mate come back to the house. He breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that they were all right.

He noticed the necklace that was around Kagome's neck and it shined brightly in the growing night sky. The jewel had great power. He would have to examine it more closely after they returned to the Western Lands.

He settled in for the night knowing that his son will not leave until the morning to go home. He wouldn't risk traveling during the night when Kagome's senses were at a disadvantage.

Inuyasha would be able to travel at night, his eyes would allow him to see during the hours of darkness, but the girl would be at a total disadvantage. She couldn't see at night and her hearing was not as keen as theirs.

He found the tree branch that he had used earlier that day and settled down to rest. He smelled the wonderful food that Kagome was making down in her house and wished that he could join them in a meal.

She hadn't cooked since she has come to live in the castle, the only time she did was right after they had gotten mated and they had made their way down to the kitchen in the middle of the night.

He heard them talking, laughing, and just enjoying themselves in the privacy of their home. He never heard them this way before. He wondered if living in the castle was preventing them from truly being happy with each other.

He didn't want them to leave the safety of the castle and he liked having them there. It didn't make the place feel so big and lonely. But what he was hearing down below made him think of his selfish wants and think about what they needed and wanted.

They wanted to be normal but being a royal couple prevented that because they had to be protected at all times. 'Hmm, if I built them their own house that was attached to the castle then they will be happy and so will I. I would have the satisfaction of keeping them protected but at the same time giving them the freedom to live on their own and be as normal as possible.'

He would have to explore this idea once he got back home, but for now he would just rest and keep a watchful eye on them to make sure they made it back safely to his kingdom.

oOo

This is the end to another chapter, as you can see Kagome and Inuyasha were smart enough to outwit the slavers. They want so desperately to be normal and not always surrounded by guards. They just want a normal life like everyone else.

All right the book that Kagome was talking about was the Kama Sutra. There were several people that got it right. Congrats you guys you know your books. Good Job!

The return trip to the Western Lands is anything but safe. Naraku is not about to give up on his prey. What will happen? Will Inuyasha and Kagome be able to make it back safely or will something happen to them? You have to wait to find out.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Kagome slowly started to open her eyes. She noticed that the sun was almost up. She had never before in her life slept in late by her own volition, she had always woken up right before the sunrise to do her training.

When she moved she noticed that no one was beside her. There was no hand cupping her breast like he usually did every morning. She quickly sat up and looked around the room. She felt alone and abandoned as tears started to form in her eyes. She started to remember her feeling from the previous day. The way she felt when Inuyasha had left her behind to go with her father and now he was gone from her side again.

'I have to get a hold of myself. Inuyasha wouldn't leave me unprotected he wouldn't leave me period. I know he loves me and we belong together but everyone seems to be against our union.' She thought as she sat in her bed. She opened up her senses to see if she could find her mate in the house.

She sensed him close by and he seemed happy about something. Curious to see why he was so happy, she got up out of the bed and put on a robe, as she made her way to where he was located.

She sensed that he was in the kitchen, when she finally arrived there she smelled something wonderful being cooked inside. She slowly opened the door to see what he was doing.

oOo

Inuyasha awoke before dawn. Kagome was still asleep as he slowly got up and made his way out of the bed without waking her. He had a plan and he wanted to please her this morning. He had never cooked in his life but he had seen everything that Kagome had done in the kitchen and thought that he could do the same thing. It didn't look difficult but then again Kagome had been doing it all her life.

He got dressed as he made his way out of the room and toward the kitchen. He hoped that he could prepare breakfast before she woke up from her sleep.

He stepped into the kitchen and scratched the back of his head trying to figure out what he was going to do first. He started by getting out all of the cooking utensils he would need. He looked for the frying pans and placed two of them on the stove.

He never started one of these things before but he had seen Kagome just turn the knob up on top and the fire will usually light. He tried it to make sure that he got it right and as soon as he turned the knob the fire on the front burner lit up and he jumped back in fright.

He had thought that he had turned on the one in the back and quickly looked down to see if he had burned his Juban. Seeing that he was all right he turned to the task at hand and noticed the dark circle on the knobs. They were in a different location for each one as he reached for another and to prove his theory.

His theory was correct. The dots represented which fire would light up. He was happy that he figured this out as he went into the refrigerator and got out the food he wanted to make. He got everything out as he started to mix all of it together. Once he was done he put the pan on the fire and started to cook the eggs he had mixed.

He was careful not to give it too much fire. Kagome had said that cooking at a high flame would burn the food so he kept it down. As he was cooking it dawned on him that it wasn't as hard as he had first thought it would be. He had watched his mate do this several times and he had an idea of what to do.

He continued to make the eggs in one pan while he cooked the ham in the other. When he was done he pulled them off the fire to make sure they wouldn't burn and put it on the plates he had sitting off to the side. He was proud at what he had accomplished and placed the food on the table while he went to get his mate so she could eat.

He turned to leave when Kagome came walking into the kitchen and scared the living crap out of him.

Kagome had a smile on her face as she walked in and saw what he had done. "Did you do this for me, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha turned bright red from embarrassment and nodded his head yes to her question as he stared at his feet.

Kagome was happy, no one has ever cooked her breakfast before as she walked up to her mate and put her arms around his waist. She leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed him in thanks. When they finally broke apart she smiled at him and said, "No one has ever cooked for me before. The last time anyone did something this special for me was my mother on my 10th birthday when she made a cake for me all by herself."

Inuyasha was happy to see his mate so excited. They went over to the table and sat down to eat as he watched her take a bite of his food. He watched with bated breath as he looked at her expression.

Kagome took a bite of his food and was surprised at how good it tasted. She must have been a better teacher than she thought as she smiled at her mate and continued to eat her food with more enthusiasm.

Inuyasha let out the breath he didn't know he was holding and took a bite of his own food, he noticed that he didn't do a bad job and the food tasted good. He still loved her cooking but at least he knew that he could cook for her when he wanted to.

They ate their breakfast and cleaned up the kitchen, putting everything away. They didn't know how long it would be until they returned to the house so they wanted to leave everything in its place.

They went and got dressed for their travel back home as they gathered up the stuff they brought while they were in the city yesterday. They each had a backpack to carry, with Inuyasha having the heavier one.

They were ready to leave. They hoped that they could make it back to the Western Lands before they ran into trouble in the forest.

They made their way outside as Kagome placed a seal on her house to keep it safe from the intruders, as they were walking towards the forest they were met by the king's guards.

The sergeant of the guards stepped forward and said, "Princess, we wish you and your husband save passage home. We will be following behind you to make sure you make it to the forbidden lands from there the soldiers that guard that territory will escort you back to the Western Lands."

Kagome looked at the sergeant and said, "Did my father give you these orders?"

Then guard bowed and said, "Yes princess, he said to follow behind you just in case you needed help."

Kagome bowed her head in frustration, she knew her father was trying to help but it was making things worse in her mind. She looked up to see the grin on her mates face as she said, "What's so funny?"

Inuyasha chuckled and said, "You thought my father was stubborn. I see that he has a rival in your father." He laughed at her as he finished speaking.

He saw that look in her eye as he slowly started to back away from his mate. She was getting mad as he said to the guards, "Fine, you can follow us if you can." Then he took off in the direction of home with his mate following closely at his heals.

They raced through the forest with lighting speed as they made their way back to the Western Lands. Inuyasha skidded to a stop and sniffed the air as Kagome stopped right beside him.

Her sour mood from this morning had long been worked off as the exercise she was doing had gotten rid of all of the pinned up anger she was feeling towards her mate. "What's wrong Inuyasha? What do you smell?"

Inuyasha started to growl as he said, "The slavers are in the forest. They're surrounding us and there's a lot of them."

Kagome opened her senses as much as she could and found the slavers he was talking about. They were on the edge of her consciousness so she couldn't tell how many of them were out there.

She moved closer to Inuyasha as the fear was starting to get to her. There were too many for them to fight and win. They have been training but it was nowhere near this level for them to fight.

Inuyasha put his arm around his mate as he sensed her fear. He knew they couldn't fight all of them and win. He had to figure a way to go around them to reach the forbidden lands. He got an idea as he moved the backpack to the front of his chest and put Kagome on his back.

Kagome was about to protest when he leaped into the air and started heading back toward the Western Lands by jumping from tree branch to tree branch. Kagome held on as she saw the dizzying heights her mate was traveling in. She hated heights and he knew it but in order for them to get around the danger this was the only way to travel.

She continued to hold on tight as she snuggled into his back and kept her senses opened for any danger.

oOo

Inutaisho woke up to the sound of the soldiers moving out of the area and heading into the forest. He heard the guard yell at the rest of them, "Hurry up men, the prince and princess have already left and we don't want to be too far behind them as they travel."

He saw the soldiers mount their horses and take off into the forest following his son and mate.

He cursed under his breath. He never slept in and today of all days he did.

That feeling was back, the same feeling he got when his son was in danger. It had told him when the slavers captured him the first time, and when he was captured with his mate. Now it was telling him that his son was in danger again.

He got up and flew through the air as fast as he could making his way toward the Western Lands. Hoping to catch up with his son and mate before something happened to them.

oOo

Inuyasha was moving fast through the air but not as fast as he normally would travel. With Kagome's added weight he had slowed down but not that much. He looked down as he was leaping and spotted the slavers down below him as he made his way toward the Western Lands. He still had a long ways to go before he made it to the forbidden lands, as he reached another branch and leaped into the air again continuing his headlong flight.

When he had hit that last branch it broke from the impact he made to jump off it. It went crashing into the forest floor causing the slavers to look up to see him traveling to the west. They quickly made a radio call for some reinforcements as they all turned to follow him while he was leaping into the air.

Kagome sensed that something was approaching them even up here in the air. She opened her eyes to see that there were two helicopters heading towards them at top speed. "Inuyasha, we're being followed by two helicopters and they're gaining on us fast."

Inuyasha couldn't spare the second to glance behind him to see what she was talking about as he landed on yet another tree branch and took off again even faster than the last time. He glanced back and saw them approaching. "Damn!" he said under his breath as he continued to go towards the west.

He looked down to see that the slavers were following on the forest ground. They had spotted them as they traveled and now they were in trouble. With so many of them trying to catch them he didn't think that they could get away from so many. But he was determined to keep his mate and pup safe.

Kagome saw that her mate had his hands full as he was trying to keep his focus on heading toward the Western Lands. She grabbed her sword from her side and pulled it from its sheath as it pulsed to life. She was going to protect them, but she didn't have any idea how she was going to do this.

She saw the helicopters getting closer as she channeled some of her powers into the sword to give it a little boost. She aimed her sword toward the nearest helicopter and let them have it. A beam of pink light came out of her sword and went straight for the helicopter as it destroyed it upon impact.

Inuyasha hearing what had happened behind him stopped on a big branch to catch his breath, as he saw the machine fall from the sky. He saw the second one take aim and shoot in their direction as he jumped from the branch to avoid the blast.

Kagome saw what was coming and sent her own blast toward the shot that was fired at them. It exploded in the air causing the helicopter to be caught in its backwash as it went towards the ground.

But that wasn't all of the consequences it had. Inuyasha and Kagome were also caught in the backwash and it sent them straight to the ground.

Inuyasha had spun around and brought Kagome toward his chest, as he held her tight in his embrace. He wanted to make sure that he would cushion his mate's fall as they impacted on the ground. When he opened his eyes his mate was unconscious in his arms as the slavers were approaching.

He groaned his side hurt from hitting the ground. It hurt like crazy and he was having a hard time breathing but he had to keep his mate safe. He wished that he had some of his mate's abilities at this moment, so he could summon a barrier to protect them until they could move. He held on to her as he started to growl more fiercely.

Inuyasha closed his eyes and said, 'Mother, I wish that I could raise a barrier right now to protect us but I can't, what can I do to protect my mate?'

As if in answer his mother said, 'Concentrate my son, you can put a barrier up to protect you and your mate.'

Inuyasha did, he concentrated with everything he had and tapped into that energy that he had deep inside, the one that came out when he was defending his mate against his father. He felt the power coming forth as he started to glow gold. A barrier was placed around himself and mate as the slavers came to a halt.

The slavers thought that they had won. They were on the ground and defenseless as they were running towards them. They had almost made it there when a barrier pushed them all back and away from hanyou and the girl.

"How could this happen? The girl is unconscious and can't put up a barrier." They looked around and saw the male hanyou glowing gold. The barrier must've come from him.

"Everyone attack the barrier. He's weak and the more we attack the barrier the weaker he becomes until the barrier comes down and then we can get to them!" Yelled the leader of the slavers as they all attacked the barrier.

Inuyasha was getting weak. He was feeling his strength leaving him as his barrier was beginning to weaken. Kagome was still unconscious in his arms when he heard a howl coming from the forest.

oOo

Inutaisho was racing through the air looking for his son. He looked off into the distance and spotted a figure dressed in red flying through the air. He knew it must be Inuyasha and Kagome because he thought he saw her on his back. He had never known Kagome to leap into the air like his son does. They must be running from the slavers if they're traveling in the air.

He headed in that direction trying to catch up to them. He saw two helicopters chasing them as he started to pick up speed. He needed to reach them and fast. He saw as Kagome raised her sword and blasted one of the helicopters away from them and then he saw them go down into the forest.

He lost sight of where they were when he saw a blast come from the forest. It was aimed at the other helicopter that had just fired a shot at them and Kagome blasted it away with her spiritual powers. The blast was too close to where his son and mate where located for them not to have gotten hurt.

He made his way there when he saw the slavers starting to approach his son. He was holding his mate in his arms meaning she was unconscious and she couldn't help him in the fight. He rushed to his aid when he saw his son glow a golden color and raised a barrier to protect himself and his mate. He never knew that his son could do that as the slavers were being pushed away from them.

He heard what the slavers said as they started to attack the barrier his son had put up. He had enough as his anger started to take over. It was about time these slavers knew that if they messed with his family then they would have to pay the price and suffer his wrath.

He began to transform into his true form, as he grew bigger. His face started to get longer as a snout came forth and his fangs grew longer. His body grew bigger as his arms and legs turned into legs and paws. He had a golden half moon on his forehead. He grew into a giant dog of pure silver in color. His eyes were red in color and his hair was long on the side of his face as he gave a howl into the air.

The slavers hearing the massive howl coming from the forest stopped to see what it was. Whatever had howled like that was big and it was coming towards them. Soon a big dog came crashing into the clearing where they were located and growled exposing his fangs at the humans. He stomped his paws on the ground, as the land shook from the impact. He approached the humans and they coward at the sight in front of them.

They have never seen anything this big before. They knew it had to be a demon. When the salvia fell from his mouth to the ground it destroyed everything it touched. His salvia was like a corrosive as it continued to drip down out of his mouth melting everything in its path. They backed away from the hanyou and his mate as the beast come closer to them.

Inutaisho saw the barrier around his son go down as he came out of the forest. He stomped his paws on the ground and saw the humans back away from his son.

A few thought that they could get to his son as he took his massive paw and squashed them under the pad of his clawed feet. He growled fiercely at them as the rest of the humans continued to back away.

He looked at his son; he had fallen unconscious with his mate in his arms. He reached down and rapped his tongue around them as he raised his head and placed them on his back to keep them save. His saliva never doing them any harm as he controlled it. The hairs on his back moved to wrap themselves around his son and mate to make sure they didn't fall off while he moved.

He looked down to see what the humans were doing and he saw them getting ready to attack him. 'They must be complete idiots if they think they can defeat me in this form.' He thought as he stood his ground.

The slavers got their weapons ready as they made to attack the giant dog that had taken away their prey. They moved forward with weapons raised as the beast let out a howl and attacked. He crushed many of them under his paws as he swiped at the rest with his giant claws.

He looked off to the left and saw King Higurashi soldiers making their way towards the battle. He backed off as he saw them arrive and take the remaining slavers that were alive, prisoners.

He was looking toward the west as the kings soldiers looked up at the beast standing in front of them. They were surprised that it didn't attack them like it did the slavers. 'It must be a demon that came to protect the prince and princess,' they thought.

They saw him looking off to the west as it turned and looked down at the soldiers. It turned and howled into the sky as it raced off toward the Western Lands. They thought that the beast might've been calling ahead for some help once it reached its destination.

The soldiers got busy and took the slavers that remained alive captive. They tended to the rest that were either dead or wounded. Things were not looking good for these people, when King Higurashi finds out what they did, they will never see the light of day from the prison cell he will place them in.

oOo

Back at Lord Inutaisho castle Miroku heard the howl that was given in the distance. He didn't know what it meant as he raced through the castle trying to find out what was going on. He found Mike and asked, "Mike what's going on? Who sent that message?"

Mike stopped as he turned to his friend and said, "Lord Inutaisho is on his way back to the castle, he has Kagome and Inuyasha with him and they have been hurt bad. He's requesting that the healer stand by so when he gets here they can be treated immediately."

Miroku was shocked to hear that the Lord Inutaisho had found Inuyasha and Kagome. He thought that Commander Tou had placed his people in the forest to protect them as they traveled. He continued to ponder this situation when he heard the sound of running feet heading towards the castle.

He raced outside along with everyone else as he saw a giant dog approach the castle. It was huge and it had a silver coat much like Inuyasha hair. He saw the healers running down to the castle grounds as he followed to see what was going on.

The giant dog came to a stop near the castle as he waited for the healers to approach. Once they were there he started to transform back into his normal form as the healers rushed forward and got Inuyasha and Kagome off his back.

It was the first time that Miroku had ever seen his lord in his true form. Now he knew why so many feared him. He was very powerful in that form and the look in his eyes at this moment meant he was out for blood.

The healers were immediately tending to all of the wounds that Kagome and Inuyasha had as Inutaisho looked on with concern in his eyes. He hoped that he had gotten to them in time and that they were all right. They weren't moving which had him concerned as they moved the pair up into the castle, with him following closely behind them.

Miroku was immediately at his side as Inutaisho said, "Miroku, I want you to go with them and keep them safe. Do not leave their side until I come back, I have some business to take care of."

Miroku said, "Yes my lord, I will stay with them until your return." He continued to follow the pair as Inutaisho said, "Miroku, have you seen Commander Tou?"

Miroku stopped and turned toward his lord as he said, "He's down by the training field with his men at the moment."

He saw Inutaisho turn and leave going in that direction, following closely behind him were his guards. He was on a mission and by the look on his face someone was going to die today.

Miroku then turned and headed in the direction where Inuyasha and Kagome were being taken. He ordered some of the soldiers to stand guard at the door. He told them not allow anyone to come into the room they had taken the pair to.

oOo

Inutaisho was fuming, he knew Tou was one of the traitors he had in his mist but he still had another one that he had to find. For now Tou would do as he made his way toward the training field he was in.

When he got there he saw Tou with his men as they were practicing. He was making his way towards them as his temper started to flare. "TOU! You have some explaining to do!" he yelled as he was walking toward the demon commander.

Tou turned around to see a very angry Tai Youkai heading toward him and the look on his face said that he had found out something as he turned in his direction. His face was expressionless as he faced his lord's wrath.

Inutaisho stopped in front of him as he faced his enemy. "Now tell me again how you had our soldiers in the forest protecting my son and his mate while they were traveling between the girls home and here."

Tou looked confused as he said, "My lord, I have no idea what you're talking about. I did send the soldiers into the forest to protect them as they traveled. They have yet to return."

"Well they won't be returning anytime soon. They have been killed or captured by King Higurashi soldiers. Your planned failed. I was able to reach my son and his mate before they were captured." Said a very furious Inutaisho as he barred his fangs at his enemy.

Tou started to back away from his lord. He had been found out and his men had failed miserably in their task of capturing or killing the half-breed and his mate.

He saw Inutaisho slowly walking towards him as he got some of his confidence back and said, "Your right, I didn't send any of your soldiers into the forest. I sent my people to capture them but I see they have failed miserably in their task."

Inutaisho stopped his approach as he growled, "Why? Why would you want to hurt them? They have done nothing to you to deserve this."

Tou stood his ground as he said, "We don't want the two kingdoms to be merged together. It's useless for humans and demon to live together in peace. It has never been done and we won't let you get away with it. We will kill them one way or another."

Inutaisho was losing his patience as he said, "Who is this we you speak of?"

Tou just laughed in his face as he said, "Wouldn't you like to know that little bit of information, but I'm not going to tell you."

Inutaisho had enough as he leaped forward and slashed Tou right in half for his traitorous act and harming his son. The rest of his men that were in the field were backing away as Inutaisho called over his shoulder to his guards and told them to take them all prisoners.

His soldiers moved quickly as they captured them all and then took them to the dungeons to await interrogation.

Inutaisho then turned around and went toward the castle. He wanted to check on his son and mate. He hoped that the pup had survived the attack if it didn't it would be a very heavy blow to everyone.

oOo

Miroku was standing guard in the room that held both Kagome and Inuyasha. They were being kept apart as they tended to Kagome's injuries. They knew that if Inuyasha smelled her blood that he would wake up and attack them all. So they put a sleeping spell on him to keep him calm as they finished with the girl.

They were in the healer's part of the castle. This place had more equipment in it as they tended to the girls injuries. Kagome had been seriously hurt on their return trip. The healers were doing everything possible so that she wouldn't lose her pup but they were having a hard time, they didn't know human physiology as well as they did the demons.

Inutaisho came into the room after he had been told that his son and mate were taken to the healer's section of the castle. He barged in wanting to know why they were down in this part of the castle and not upstairs where they would normally be.

Miroku seeing his lord's anger and the amount of blood he had on his clothes, quickly approached him and said, "Please my lord, may I speak to you outside for a moment."

Lord Inutaisho considered his request as he stepped outside the room with Miroku. Once the door was closed to the room he turned towards him and said, "I want to know what is going on with my son and his mate. I want to know why they were brought here?"

Miroku swallowed hard and tried to explain, "My lord, Kagome was seriously injured. They brought her down here to save her life. We kept Inuyasha with her but he has been placed under a sleeping spell to keep him calm. We know that if he wakes up and smells Kagome's blood he would attack everyone in the room."

Inutaisho heard what he was being told. A cold ache started to form in his heart as he asked, "How bad is she?"

Miroku lowered his head and said, "She has lost two of the three pups she was carrying. The healers are trying to save the last one. They think they have succeeded in preventing her body from rejecting the pup."

Inutaisho face just paled at the news that Kagome had lost two of her pups. He had no idea that there were three of them. He had only heard the one heart beat coming from her. So to find out that there were three of them was a shock.

He leaned heavily on the wall in the hallway as he tried to catch his breath. He turned toward Miroku and asked, "Has Inuyasha been told about this?"

Miroku shook his head and said, "No my Lord, he has no knowledge of this. But when he wakes up and finds out he will be devastated."

Inutaisho had to agree as he stood straight and said, "I don't want anyone to tell him. I will tell him about the pups when he awakens."

Miroku understood his request as Inutaisho moved away from the wall and started to make his way back into the room where his son and mate were located.

Miroku seeing where he was going tapped him on the shoulder and said, "My lord, don't you think it's advisable that you get the blood off you before you go and see your son. He is going to be in an emotional turmoil without seeing you like this."

Inutaisho looked down and saw his clothes. He didn't even notice that he had this much blood on him. He turned towards Miroku and said, "Yes you're right, I'll go get cleaned up and then I will return here. Make sure that no one but the healers are allowed to get near them, is that understood."

Miroku inclined his head towards his lord in acknowledgement of his command as he saw him leave the area to get cleaned up.

Inutaisho walked away from the healer's section of his castle as he made his way up toward his room. He was emotionally drained at the events of that morning. He couldn't help but blame himself for what had happened to his son and mate. If he hadn't of slept in that morning then the three pups would've still been alive.

He reached his room as he quickly stripped his clothes and stepped into the bathroom in his room. He got the water as hot as he could stand it and allowed the water to clean the blood off him. It helped him relax so he could get enough strength to deal with his son. He was going to be heart broken when he found out that Kagome had lost two of the three pups she was carrying. But they still had the one that was a fighter and for that he was grateful.

Once he was done with his shower, and getting all of the blood off him, he quickly got dressed and made his way toward the healer's section of the castle. He was keeping his senses opened to see if he could catch the other traitor that he had in his mist.

He finally got back to where they were keeping Inuyasha and Kagome and entered the room. He went towards Miroku and asked, "How are they doing? Have they woken up yet?"

"No, neither of them has woken up. The healers did say that Kagome is doing well considering she lost two pups. The third is doing fine and its heart beat is strong. They feel that the pup will come to full term with no damage." Miroku said with concern in his voice. He knew his lord was blaming himself for the loss of the pups.

"But the healers are worried, if Inuyasha doesn't wake up soon to feed the pup it might start to grow weak. Kagome can sustain it but he needs Inuyasha's Youkai to keep it strong." Miroku said as he looked at his lord.

Inutaisho knew what he was talking about. Demon pups needed the youkai of their father to keep them strong and to have a strong bloodline, or they were born deformed. He looked at Miroku and said, "Please leave me alone with them." Miroku bowed and left the room to give them some privacy.

Inutaisho walked over to Kagome. She was pale but her heart was going strong. She was fighting her injuries and was slowly starting to recover. He walked up to her as he heard the heartbeat of the pup. He sighed as he put his hand on her stomach and channeled some of his youkai into the pup. He would hope that Inuyasha would forgive him but he had to make sure that the pup was feed and that it grew strong.

It was a gift that he gave the pup. A gift that peace will rule with it once it was born. He saw Kagome stir as her strength was slowly being returned to her and he pulled his hand away from her stomach.

She continued to sleep as the color was slowly returning to her face. The pup's heartbeat was strong as well as he smiled inwardly. This pup will be strong once it's born. With everything it has been through already it will be a fighter and just as stubborn as his son.

He left her side as he made his way toward Inuyasha. He was still asleep not too far away from Kagome. The healers had done a good job in getting rid of Kagome's blood scent from the room. So when he woke up he should be a little bit easier to handle. He feared what his son was going to do once he found out that Kagome had lost the pups. But he was sure that he would be happy once he found out that there was one left.

He stayed by his son's side waiting for him to wake up as the day grew into a long one.

oOo

A few hours later Inuyasha started to stir. Inutaisho was sitting at his side when he saw his son was moving. As Inuyasha was slowly coming back to consciousness he started to remember what had happened. He snapped his eyes open as he quickly sat up breathing hard.

Inutaisho was at his side in an instant as he grabbed his son by the shoulders and pushed him back down so he could rest. Inuyasha was fighting with him to get up but he held onto his son as he said, "Inuyasha, you must calm down. Kagome is asleep next to you and she can't help you if you go into another one of those breathing fits."

Inuyasha's eyes focused on the person holding him down to the bed as he slowly started to calm down at what he was being told. He breathed slowly and deeply as he got his control back and then looked up at his father and asked, "Where's Kagome? Is she all right?"

Inutaisho looked away from his son's eyes. He couldn't stand to see the hurt in them when he told him what had happened. "Kagome is doing fine. She's alive and she is sleeping on another bed in this room."

Inuyasha saw the look that his father had. He was keeping something from him and he wanted to know what happened. "Dad? What happened to Kagome that you're not telling me? Did she lose the pup?"

The look on his father face confirmed his worst fears that Kagome had lost the pup she was carrying. He looked away from his father as he lowered his head and said, "No! This can't be happening. This is my fault for not protecting her. Why! Why do I have to be so weak that I can't even protect my own mate!"

Inutaisho looked up as he saw his son grieving over the pups. Then he said in a gentle and fatherly voice, "Inuyasha, Kagome is still alive and she has lost two of the three pups she was carrying. She still has one left."

Inuyasha quickly turned his head toward his father as he said, "She was carrying three pups?"

His father nodded his head and said, "Yes, she was carrying three pups. She lost two but she still has the one left. It seems to be the strongest of the three and it survived."

"But I only heard one heart beat. I didn't know that she was carrying three of them." Said a very confused Inuyasha.

Inutaisho nodded his head in understanding, "Yes, I agree with you. I only sensed the one but the healers said that she was carrying three. Maybe the other two were weak to begin with and she would've lost them anyway. But the one is a fighter. With everything that it has been through already it will grow up to be strong."

Inutaisho continued to watch his son as he continued, "Inuyasha, I'm sorry I failed you. I didn't arrive in time to protect you and your mate. I have failed to keep you safe and now you have lost two of your pups because of it."

Inuyasha looked up as he saw his father expression. He was hurt for not protecting him and his mate. "Dad, I don't blame you for what happened. I know that you did everything possible to protect us. I'm just shocked that we were having three pups instead of the one."

Inutaisho was surprised at his son's attitude. He thought that he was going to blame him for what happened but he seemed to be taking the news a lot better than he did.

"Does Kagome know that she lost the pups yet?" asked Inuyasha.

Inutaisho shook his head and said, "No, she hasn't been told yet."

Inuyasha took a deep breath and said, "Good, I don't want to tell her about it. It will be for the best. If she was told that she lost two of her pups she might blame herself for wanting to go home. I don't want her to feel that way. She has every right to visit her parents and go home. I don't want her to feel that she was at fault."

Inutaisho agreed with his son. Then he remembered that he had feed his pup and had to tell him that piece of news. "Umm Inuyasha, when you were unconscious the pup needed to be feed. It was pulling Kagome down with it as it was trying feed off her spiritual powers. So I took the liberty of feeding it some of my youkai to give it the strength to survive, as soon as I did it left Kagome's energy alone and she started to heal faster. I'm sorry if I over stepped my boundaries but I had to do something for the pup and Kagome."

Inuyasha was surprised that his father would even do that for his pup. Most Youkai never took care of their off springs young so he was grateful that he did. "No, I'm not mad as a matter of fact I'm grateful that you did. I never knew that you cared so much about my pup."

Inutaisho looked at his son to see the smile on his face. He smiled warmly at his son as he reached up and scratched his ears, something that he hadn't done in a long time. The surprise look on his sons face was priceless as he closed his eyes and enjoyed his father's touch.

Inuyasha was surprised when his father started to scratch his ears. He hadn't done that since he was a whelp. He lowered his head and enjoyed the comfort his father was giving him. Maybe just maybe he was finally getting through to his father and the tension that had always been there was slowly starting to go away as a new relationship was developing.

He liked this feeling. It was a feeling that he was finally accepted for who he was and that his father had no problems that he was a hanyou, something that has always stood in the way of his relationship with his father.

They both heard a moan coming from the other side of the room as Inutaisho stopped scratching his son's ears and turned his attention towards the girl.

Inuyasha slowly sat up as he tried to get out of bed but his father held him by his shoulder and said, "I don't think its wise for you to get up yet. I will go and see how she's doing."

Inuyasha relented, he knew his father spoke the truth as he laid back down and rested. He saw his father walk over to his mate to see how she was doing.

Inutaisho walked over to were Kagome was resting. He stood by her bedside as he started to see her struggle to consciousness. She slowly opened her eyes to see where she was. As her eyes started to focus she saw the concerned look in Inutaisho eyes as he looked at her.

Inutaisho leaned forward and asked, "How are you feeling Kagome?"

Kagome moaned and then said in a whisper, "I'm fine, where's Inuyasha? Is he all right? Did he get hurt?"

He smiled her concern was for her mate and not for herself. "Yes, he's fine. He's resting at the moment. He had the same concerns as you. He was worried that you might've gotten hurt."

Kagome smiled she was relieved that Inuyasha wasn't hurt. She looked up at Inutaisho and asked, "How did we get here? The last thing I remember was getting hit from that shot the slavers took at us and hitting the ground."

Inutaisho sat by her bed and started to explain, "I found you and brought you back here. I heard the explosion in the distance and headed towards it. I knew that both of you might be getting attacked because the blast came from the south. When I got there I saw the slavers about to capture you and Inuyasha, so I took care of them until your fathers soldiers showed up and captured them.

I put you and Inuyasha on my back and ran here. The healers have healed your injuries and the pup is doing well."

Kagome was relieved to hear that she didn't lose the pup. 'If I would've lost it, it would have been my fault for wanting to go home in the first place and I don't think Inuyasha would've forgiven me for that.' She thought as she breathed a sigh of relief.

Inutaisho looked at the relieved look on her face when he told her that the pup was fine. Inuyasha had been right. She would've blamed herself if she'd lost the pup. "Kagome, I want you to rest. You're both safe and so is the pup. You will be well protected here and no harm will come to you."

Kagome nodded her agreement, as she was tired. She closed her eyes and fell asleep once again, knowing that she was safe and that her mate was near.

Once Inutaisho saw that Kagome's breathing had leveled out, he knew that she was asleep again. He quietly got up and made his way toward his son's bed. As soon as he was there his son opened his eyes and looked at him. "You were right, she would've blamed herself if she knew about the other pups."

Inuyasha nodded his agreement as he closed his eyes and fell asleep to recover from his ordeal.

Inutaisho stayed for a while until he was sure that they were both resting comfortably. He was tired as he got up and left the room to let them rest. As he left the room he closed the door behind him. He placed a seal on the door to prevent anyone from going into the room. He didn't want the healers going in there until he had a chance to talk to them.

He turned towards the two guards that were standing watch and said, "No one is to enter this room, not even the healers. They are to be left alone so they can rest and recover from their injuries." The guards nodded their understanding of his orders as he walked slowly away heading toward his office.

Inutaisho had some work to do. He had to find the other traitor in his mist. Until he did that his son and mate were still in danger and he couldn't allow anyone to hurt them anymore.

oOo

Shawn was staying close to Naraku. He had yet to gather any new information for his lord on what was going on. He knew that he would have to send word back sometime in the near future to let him know that nothing new has occurred.

They were in the surveillance room when one of the observers yelled for Naraku. They quickly walked over to the young man to see what he wanted. He seemed excited about something that he was seeing on the monitors. When they walked up to the young man he quickly pointed to the screen he wanted them to see.

Shawn heart dropped as he saw Inuyasha and Kagome appear on the screen as they were heading towards her house. He thought that Inutaisho would've warned them that there were cameras around the house to see when they would return.

Shawn watched with interest as he saw Kagome stop and look into the trees around the area. They saw as she said something to her mate and they quickly went inside the house. They saw the barrier go up and Naraku stood up and said, "So, our prey is back in town. This would be the perfect opportunity to capture or kill them while their here."

Shawn' heart started to race as he heard Naraku words. He hoped that Inuyasha and Kagome were smart enough to avoid the slavers.

Naraku turned to another one of his associates and said, "Send our best men out there to capture them. They're to use caution, the male is a lot stronger than he seems and so is the girl. The girl is a miko and she can protect the half-breed with no problems. Capture the girl and you will have control over the male." The slavers understood their instructions as they left for the girl's house to capture them.

They saw through the cameras when their men arrived at the house. They had it surrounded but they couldn't get through the barrier. They had to sit and wait for their opportunity to capture them.

They didn't have to wait for long when they saw the two leave the house and get into the girls car and drive away. The slavers quickly followed, as the surveillance room became a command center. They were tracking Kagome and Inuyasha's movements through the city as the cameras were switching from one location to another as they followed them.

They kept relaying their location to the slavers that were following them. They saw them going towards the mall as they parked their car close to the entrance.

They continued to monitor their movements through the building as the cameras switched to the indoor security system of the mall. They picked up their movements as they saw the couple heading towards the restroom.

They told the slavers where they were located and told them to take the male while he was busy using the facility. There were no cameras in the bathroom so they couldn't see which stall he was using.

Everything was being watched from the surveillance room. They saw the slavers rush in and then quickly walked back out as they said in the microphone, which was attached to their ear, "The hanyou is no longer in the bathroom."

Everyone went frantic trying to find were they had gone. They even went as far as to rewind the tapes of the different locations in the mall to see if they could find them. But they were gone. No one saw them leave the restroom, as they had simply vanished.

Shawn was trying to keep a straight face but on the inside he was laughing his ass off at the escape of Kagome and Inuyasha. He knew that they had a concealment spell on, that's how they got away from the people that were chasing them. 'Kagome must've sensed that they were being followed and cast a concealment spell. I have no idea what they even looked like because I too was caught off guard to hear that they had vanished.'

They saw the slavers continue to search the mall for them but to no avail. Then Naraku told them to split up, half were to stay inside to see if they could find the couple while the rest go outside and stay with the car. They would return to it eventually.

They continued with their surveillance as they started to see activity at King Higurashi house. They saw the increase in security as three cars left the estate to go towards the city. They followed their movements because they thought that maybe they were on their way to pick up the hanyou and the girl.

They saw the limousine stop at the front entrance to the mall and told several of the slaver to move into position incase the hanyou was there. But to their surprise a very human girl and boy approached the car and got in. As soon as the door to the vehicle was closed the car took off and headed back to King Higurashi home.

Naraku told his men to follow the car he wanted to see who these people were that warranted security to be stepped up at the kings house.

The car finally arrived at the king's house as the couple got out and went inside. The cameras followed all of their movements. They saw the girl whisper something into the young mans ear and he nodded in returned.

They saw them enter the king's study as the girl requested that they talk in private. The king led the way out of the den and went into the more private part of the house.

Naraku cursed as he yelled, "Damn! Why couldn't they stay in the fucking study?"

Shawn looked at Naraku and asked, "What's wrong? Can't we follow their movement anymore?"

Naraku looked at his apprentice with angry eyes, "No we can't. There are no security cameras in that area. We've tried to set up cameras in that area of the house but they always seem to find and destroy them."

Shawn smiled inwardly. Leave it up to Kagome to figure out how they were being followed. They waited to see what would happen. About an hour later they saw the king and the young man leave the house to go to the center of town.

Naraku had them followed. He still wanted to see who this young man was and why all the secrecy. They saw them stop at a downtown jewelry store as Naraku yelled out to his men to find the security camera of that establishment.

His people were working frantically at the controls when one of his men yelled out, "Sir, they have turned off the security cameras in the store. We can't tap into the place."

Another string of colorful curses was heard from Naraku as they had once again stopped him from finding out what was going on inside the store. They saw them leave about a half hour later and go back to the king's home. They walked inside and headed straight for the more private parts of the house again as the agitation level in Naraku rose.

They continued to monitor the activities of the house as they saw the couple leave the area a few hours later.

The king's men were escorting them somewhere as they tried to follow with the cameras. The cars stopped in a place where there were no cameras available and they couldn't be seen from their current location. They tried to get a vehicle there to see what they were doing when the cars started to move again and headed toward the princesses house.

When the cars finally arrived the hanyou and the princess stepped out of the car. Naraku was furious. "How in the hell did they get into the limousine?"

Then one of his men spoke up, "They could've gotten into the car when it stopped in that secluded part of town where we couldn't see what they were doing. They might've picked them up and dropped off that other couple that was riding in the car."

Naraku thought about this for a few minutes and found the theory to be sound. He sighed as he saw all of the guards that King Higurashi had put at the girls house for the night.

He started to hash out a plan as he said; "I want all available men to be in the forest tomorrow as they travel back to the Western Lands. They're to be either capture or killed, I'm not being picky at the moment."

His men relayed the information to the remaining slavers that were available. "I will have them tomorrow, one way or another."

Shawn heart was pounding so hard in his chest that he thought that Naraku was picking up on it. He hoped that Inuyasha and Kagome's luck held out as they traveled back to the Western Lands. Naraku wanted them and he would stop at nothing to get them.

They kept a silent vigil during the night to see when they would leave. The slavers were already in position deep in the forest. They had a plan on how to capture them and they were determined to get them.

Morning came and they saw Kagome and Inuyasha leaving the house. They had very thing with them as Kagome placed her seal on the house and they started to go into the forest.

They signaled the slaver that their target was on the move as they saw them take off into the forest. There were no cameras in the forest. The only cameras they had were the one's that the slavers had with them so they could see what was going on and the radios that they used to communicate with.

The slavers were trying to locate Inuyasha and Kagome but they seemed to have lost them. They knew they had to be close by as they continued to search, the man with the camera was not with them at the moment so the only thing they had was the communication that they were hearing.

Shawn nerves were on edge as he tried to keep himself focused on what was going on. Then he heard one of the slavers curse as he said, "They're traveling by air. The hanyou is jumping from tree branch to tree branch heading towards the west. We need reinforcements, send the helicopters in so we can follow them and have them take the first available shot to bring them down."

Naraku gave the order for the helicopters to leave as he sent two of them to intercept.

Shawn held his breath he hoped that they could get away from them.

The minutes seemed to take hours as the sound of the battle started to come over the speakers. "Shit that girl just blasted one of our helicopters out of the sky. Look the other helicopter just got off a shot."

"Holy fuck! They took out the other helicopter too. Wait they crashed to the ground. Hurry men we have to get to them before they wake up, right now they can't defend themselves." The slavers were moving fast through the forest trying to get to the fallen hanyou before he found enough strength to fight them.

"There they are! The girl seems to be unconscious. Good that means that they can't raise a barrier to stop us. Hurry men he doesn't look strong enough to fight us."

Shawn continued to hear the huffing and puffing of the men running to get to where Inuyasha and Kagome were. He heard Inuyasha's growls of warning to stay away then he heard, "Shit! Where did this fucking barrier come from? The girl is unconscious there is no way she could've put this barrier up."

Everyone in the control room was straining to listen to what was going on, "Damn the hanyou was the one to put up the barrier. I didn't know he could do that.

Hurry men attack the barrier, he's weak and if we all attack it at once we could bring it down and take them."

Finally the man with the camera arrived at the location where the slavers were located. They set up the camera and it started to send pictures back of what was going on. Naraku watched intently, they were finally going to get the hanyou and the princess. They were going to pay for what they had done to Kusco.

They watched as the slavers continued to attack the barrier until they heard a howl from somewhere deep inside the forest. Shawn froze. He knew that howl, as he continued to watch what was going on.

The slavers stopped what they were doing as they scanned the area for the approaching threat. "Do you see what's coming?" Yelled one of the slavers as the camera continued to pan the area. Then they heard, "Holy Shit! Look at the size of that thing."

The camera turned in the direction indicated by the slaver as a giant dog appeared in the area. Shawn heard everyone in the surveillance room gasped when they saw the giant beast.

"Where in the fuck did that come from?" He saw the cameraman starting to step backwards as the giant dog approached. Shawn knew who it was, it wasn't often you would get to see him in this form but when he was you better watch out because he was seriously pissed. Shawn knew that Lord Inutaisho was pissed as he growled at the slavers to get away from his son and mate.

They watched as they all backed away. The camera panned left as it saw a group of slavers running towards the hanyou now that the barrier was down. They all saw their death as the giant dog just stepped on them preventing them from reaching the pair.

The camera panned right again as it followed the dog toward the two that were the target of their desire. He had picked them up with his tongue and put them on his back. They were out of their reach when Naraku yelled at the slavers, "Attack! I want them killed or captured."

The slavers did as instructed, as they got ready to attack the giant dog. They moved forward as the cameraman stayed back to capture the scene. They saw many of the slavers go to their deaths as the dog either stepped or clawed at them. Then the cameraman quickly turned in another direction and curse under his breath. They saw the king's soldiers approaching.

They saw the cameraman running away when the soldiers captured him and that was the last they heard of the slavers.

Naraku was shaking in rage. They had managed to get away from him yet again. The next time they won't get away. Instead of humans going after them it will be demons fighting against demons. He was determined to win this fight one-way or the other.

Shawn continued to watch Naraku he wasn't stable and he wanted Inuyasha and Kagome so bad that he wasn't thinking straight. Shawn followed Naraku back to his office he wasn't about to let him out of his sight. He knew that information would be relayed back to him about what had happened to the pair he was after.

Several hours passed and Shawn was fortunate enough to be in Naraku office when he received an important communication from his spy in Lord Inutaisho castle. "Naraku, Commander Tou has been discovered as a traitor and has been killed by Lord Inutaisho. He apparently found out about his plan when he saved his son and mate from your attack."

Naraku inclined his head and said, "Well he was careless in what he did. He should've sent some of his men into the forest to make it look like he was doing his job but right now that isn't important. Tell me of the hanyou and the girl. Are they still alive?"

"Yes, they are both very much alive, but the girl lost two of the three pups she was carrying." The voiced said as it sighed on the other end of the communication.

Naraku eyes grew big as he asked, "She's pregnant?"

"Yes she is. She still has one pup that survived the attack and it seems like she will keep it."

Shawn's heart ached at the knowledge that Kagome had lost two of her pups. 'She must be heartbroken about it.' Thought Shawn as he continued to stare at Naraku to see what he was going to plan next.

"Now this is very interesting news. I know now that they will never leave the Western Lands again. So I have decided to launch an attack there against them. I have to contact some more people, when all of the final details have been made I will inform you of the plans so you can get out of the way.

I know that the girl will not be able to fight once she gets further along so we can attack in a months time." Said Naraku as he was leaning back in his chair. He had a big smile on his face as he broke the communications with the person at the castle.

Shawn continued to watch to see what else he could get out of Naraku, as he saw him turning towards him. "Shawn, we must set our plans in motion to go to the Western Lands, to finally get rid of those two. Tomorrow we start planning the assault against the castle." Shawn inclined his head towards him as he left the office.

He knew that everyone in the facility was going to get some rest for being up all night but he had no time to rest he had to send word back to Lord Inutaisho as soon as possible. They had to be prepared for the attack that was coming in a month's time.

Kagome won't be able to fight in the upcoming battle if she wanted to keep her pup and Inuyasha won't leave her side. He had to make sure that he told his lord what was coming in case he couldn't communicate with him anymore.

Shawn sighed this was one of the hardest assignments he has ever had to deal with. He had to make sure he was never put into this type of a situation again, if he survived this ordeal. He set to work putting his letter together to send to Lord Inutaisho.

oOo

The end to another chapter, Naraku will not give up on killing Inuyasha and Kagome. He wants them bad and he is willing to do anything to get them. Inuyasha's father will be there to protect them as much as possible.

I was asked some questions about the Kama Sutra. Well if you really want to know what it is you can all look it up on the Internet. Just type Kama Sutra in the search bar and it will take you to a world of information. But in short the Kama Sutra is a book of all the different kinds of sex position. It is meant to bring the partners closer together in both body and spirit in their enjoyment.

I was also asked if the necklace that Kagome gave Inuyasha was the same one she gave him in the series. Sorry guys I was unaware that she had given him any necklaces in the series it was my idea. But it's nice to know that I was thinking along the same line and the author of Inuyasha.

The ring that Inuyasha gave Kagome was of my own design. It's my idea of what a perfect gift should be.

And yes Sesshomaru is in this story you have to wait until chapter 27 to read about him. It's coming guy's just hold on for a few more chapters.

Lord Inutaisho has found out one of the traitor is and has taken care of him. But there is still another in his mist. Can you guess who it is? I gave you a hint in this chapter. Let see if you even come close to who it might be. I haven't mentioned his name yet so all I want is a general idea on who it might be.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Inuyasha opened his eyes to find that he was still in the healer's section of the castle. He slowly sat up trying to find the strength to get out of his bed. He wanted to see his mate. He had not smelled her in so long that his heart ached for her touch.

He was breathing hard as he put his feet on the ground to see if they would support his weight. When they did he put his entire body weight on them as he stood for the first time in two days.

He made his way over to his mate. She was asleep and looking even more beautiful than before, if that was even possible. He approached slowly, he didn't want to scare her as he lowered his head and gently placed a kiss on her lips.

Her lips were dry as he ran his tongue over them making them wet and soft again.

Kagome was feeling a wet tongue passing over her lips as she sensed her mate near her wanting some attention. His tongue continued to roam over her lips as she parted them to give him entrance.

Inuyasha didn't waste anytime, as soon as his mate parted her lips he darted his tongue inside her mouth. She tasted wonderful as he began to feel her respond to his touch. They kissed long and hard as their breathing was becoming heavy. He finally pulled away from her and looked into her beautiful blue eyes. The eyes that he had fell in love with the very first time he had ever seen her.

They were both breathing hard as he said, "Koishii, how are you feeling?"

Kagome smiled and said, "Better now that I'm with you. Can we go back our own room now?"

Inuyasha smiled at her as he said, "Sure, let me find our clothes then we can leave this place. I hate it here as much as you." Kagome started to giggle at his comment as she saw him standup and walk over to the closet to look for their clothes, but there were gone.

Inuyasha started to growl as Kagome turned her head toward her mate and asked, "Inuyasha, what's wrong?"

He turned towards her and said, "They have taken our clothes away. We don't have anything to wear to get out of this place." Kagome groaned at his remark she wanted to leave this place. She watched as Inuyasha walked toward the door as he placed his hand on the handle and jumped back in shock.

A string of colorful curses left his mouth that Kagome had never heard before. She started to laugh as Inuyasha turned towards her and growled, "What's so god damn funny?"

Kagome stopped her laughing and said, "I never knew you had that kind of vocabulary, Inuyasha. I'm just surprised that I haven't heard it before."

Inuyasha growled his frustrations at her as he said, "Dad has placed a seal on the door and we can't get out. So we're stuck here until he comes down to check on us."

Kagome raised an eyebrow at him and said, "Here, let me try something." She got out of bed being careful not to fall. She was still weak from their narrow escape from the other day.

She was wearing a short kimono and her legs looked wonderful in his eyes as he saw her coming toward him. Once she was standing by his side he put his arm around her waist to steady her as she put her hands out and concentrated. "There are two guards on the outside of the door. I have to knock them out if we want to leave here."

Inuyasha looked out the window and saw that it was in the middle of the night as he said, "Everyone should be asleep in the castle. So we have to be quite."

Kagome nodded her head in understanding as she set to work. She cast a sleeping spell on the two that were guarding the door. When she felt that they were under her spell she started to work on the seal. The seal was a powerful one as Kagome started to pull power from deep within her. She never felt this power before as she started to glow pink. She stepped forward and touched the door as she opened it.

Inuyasha was shocked to see that she had broken the seal on the door. They slowly cracked the door opened to see the two guards leaning against the wall sound asleep.

Kagome and Inuyasha giggled as they made their way past the sleeping guards to the upper level of the castle. They stopped by the kitchen to get something to eat, as they quietly made there way upstairs to their chambers, avoiding the guards that were roaming the castle at night. Once they had made it to their bedchambers Kagome placed a seal on the door and on the windows to make sure that they weren't disturbed for the rest of the night.

They both crawled into bed. Exhausted from their little adventure through the castle as they both cuddled together and fell asleep in each other's arms. Much better than that stuffy room down in the healer's area of the castle.

oOo

The next morning Lord Inutaisho arose early in the morning to go and check on his son and mate. When he arrived he found both his guards unconscious as his heart started to race. He quickly went inside the room to find that both his son and mate were gone.

He started to growl deep and menacing as he rushed back outside and sniff the air. There were no signs of intruders so where could his son and mate be. He caught their scent going toward the back staircase as he followed it up into the upper levels of the castle. He continued to follow his nose as he came to his son's room. He heard their breathing coming from inside the room and knew that they were in there.

They had scared the daylights out of him as he tried to get his emotions under control. He had thought that they were captured again. As he was standing outside their door he started to think, 'How on earth did Kagome break my seal. She has never been able to break my seals before, especially this one. It was the one I used down in the lower levels of the castle when I locked them in that room. I guess I'm not going to be able to do that anymore if she can break my seal.'

He sighed as he placed his hand on the door handle to open it and jumped back from the shock he got from it. Kagome had placed a seal on the door and he couldn't get in.

He started to growl deep and menacing as he walked away from the door. He headed back toward the unconscious guards down in the healers section of the castle. He wanted to make sure that they were all right and that they didn't send out an alarm because Kagome and Inuyasha were gone from their room.

oOo

Kagome started to stir when she felt that someone touched the door. The seal sent a signal to her that someone was trying to get in. She heard a growl and the sound of feet walking away and she knew that Inuyasha's father was pissed. He couldn't come in to check on them, her barrier prevented him from entering.

She started to move and the hand on her breast tighten as her mate pulled her closer to him with a growl of annoyance. Kagome rolled over in his embrace as she started to kiss him good morning. She started out soft and it turned into a passionate kiss as he returned it eagerly.

They continued to kiss until he pulled away from her and smiled. He leaned down and started to nip at her ear as he asked, "How are you feeling?"

Kagome moaned and said, "I feel fine. I think I want to start training again. I feel like I have some new powers and I need to learn how to control them."

"Kagome, are you sure your up for that? It's only been three days and I don't want you to hurt yourself or the pup." Inuyasha had a serious tone to his voice.

Kagome looked up into his eyes and said, "Yes, I'm sure. I feel stronger than before. I promise that I won't over do it. I just want a light workout to loosen my muscles."

Inuyasha groaned but gave into her request as they both got out of bed and started to get dressed. Then Kagome remembered why she had woken up so early and said, "Umm Inuyasha, your father came by our room this morning and he ran into my barrier. So we better be careful around him, I think he might be mad at me."

Inuyasha walked over to his mate and hugged her as he said, "I know my father isn't mad at you. He was probably scared out of his mind when he saw us gone from the room downstairs, but I'm sure he's wondering how on earth you broke his seal."

Kagome leaned into his embrace and knew that he was probably right. They both walked out of their room and headed toward the kitchen to grab something to eat on their way to the training field. When they entered the kitchen they found Inuyasha's father there having breakfast and he didn't look in the happiest of moods.

Kagome hid behind Inuyasha as she was trembling in fear, at seeing his father. She knew he was mad at her for breaking his seal and scaring him half to death this morning.

Inuyasha looked behind him to find his mate there and not moving. He was about to say something when he heard his fathers command. "I want to see the both of you."

Inuyasha swallowed hard as he made his way toward his father. He now knew why his mate was hiding behind him. She must've picked up on his mood.

He stopped in front of his father and even he could tell that he was in a foul mood. Kagome was still hiding behind him as she buried her face between his shoulder blades and held on to his haori, as he faced his father.

Inutaisho looked up at his son. He was pissed to high heaven for what the two in front of him had put him through this morning. He didn't see Kagome but he could smell her fear as she was hiding behind her mate. "Kagome, come out from behind Inuyasha." It was a command and not a request.

Kagome winched at the commanding tone of his voice as she slowly walked around her mate and stood next to him, with her head down, not willing to look at him.

He looked at them both as he saw Kagome trembling in fear and Inuyasha with a worried look in his eyes, for his mate. He sighed as he said, "Kagome I want you to look at me."

He saw Kagome struggling with herself as she finally lifted her head up to look at him. He then said, "I want to know how you broke my seal."

Kagome couldn't answer him. She was shaking so bad that Inuyasha had to put his arms around her to make her stop. Inutaisho saw her distress and said, "Kagome, I'm not mad at you for breaking the seal or leaving the healer's quarters. I just want to know how you broke my seal." The tone he used this time was one that was soothing to her and it indicated that he wasn't mad at them.

She finally calmed down enough to answer his question. "I really don't know how I broke it. I just felt a certain power coming from deep inside that told me that I could break it. I know that I couldn't do it before but now I can."

Inutaisho watched her with curiosity she had grown in power again and so did his son. The last battle must've brought out a new level in their strength because of their desire to protect each other. He turned toward his son and asked, "Where were you two heading?"

Inuyasha swallowed hard and said, "We were going down to the training field to do a little training. Nothing too strenuous but something to loosen up the muscles that we haven't used in a couple of days."

Inutaisho considered his words and said, "I'll meet you both down there after you have eaten." He got up and left the kitchen heading towards his room to change into his training gear. Something told him that he needed to wear his thick armor today because the training was going to get intense once they got started.

Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his father leave the kitchen and looked down at his mate. Kagome was confused at the sudden change in mood of Inuyasha's father but shrugged it off as Kaede brought them their breakfast.

Once they were done with breakfast they walked hand in hand to the training field. They noticed that as they were walking they had guards following them everywhere they went. They both sighed as they got to the training field and noticed that there were guards all the way around the perimeter. "My father is a little paranoid that they're going to come after us here. He must've gotten some new information that there is a threat."

Kagome agreed with his logic, as she got ready for the training. They both stretched to get loose as they picked up their swords and started to go through their warm up exercises.

Inutaisho walked out of his castle and started to go down toward the training field. He noticed that his guards were guarding the entire field as his son and mate went through their warm up exercises with their swords.

He watched in awe. They were moving perfectly together. Never once being out of sink with each other. They matched each other in movements and balance. He thought that he was watching a perfectly choreographed dance the way they were moving.

When they were done. They turned and faced each other as they started to spar. They moved faster than before. They were evenly matched as they continued to trade blows with each other. He decided to join them to see how they would fare against him, he knew to keep it light and non-aggressive, unless they both stepped it up then he would gladly match their pace.

He raced in with his sword drawn and went after Kagome. Kagome sensed the approaching danger as she quickly dispatched her mate and meet the new threat head on. She caught Inutaisho sword as it came down and then she pushed him back with such force that he almost didn't have enough time to react to Inuyasha's attack.

His son was moving much faster than before and his swings were more powerful.

Inutaisho had to quickly step up his power level as the two he was fighting were getting the best of him. His son was the main one he was fighting as he prevented him from getting to his mate.

Inuyasha was tapping into the power that was deep inside him in order to prevent his father from reaching his mate.

Inutaisho quickly landed a blow that sent Inuyasha into the air as he went after Kagome. Kagome held her ground as she fought against him matching him blow for blow and equally in strength. He couldn't push her back from her position as Inuyasha came back and pushed him away from his mate.

He quickly stepped up his power level as his sons level was steadily increasing. He was amazed at the way he grew in power. He was having a hard time just trying to get by him to get to his mate. He added a new combination to the fight as he sent his binding spell towards him and ensnared him. He went after Kagome and Kagome met all of his hits.

Kagome was beginning to push him back as she made an attack of her own. He saw her sword grow in power as she kept blocking all of his hits and she was making some of her own. He was hard pressed to keep her at bay and not hurt her as he stepped up his power with her also. Kagome met his strength and continued to push him back in the fight.

Inutaisho couldn't land a clean blow as he heard a low growl coming towards him and saw his son jump right in front of his mate as he attacked his father. Inuyasha's power had increased ten fold as he brought his full abilities to bear. Now it was a fight to see who was the better fighter as they continued to trade blows with each other.

At one point he pushed Inuyasha back and thought he had the upper hand in the fight. A blast caught him in the chest and sent him flying through the air as he landed on his back. He was having a hard time breathing as his son came running towards him to make sure he was all right, with a very worried Kagome at his side.

Kagome kneeled down next to him and put her hands on his chest as she sent a wave of healing power into his body to heal his injuries. Inuyasha's blow must've hurt him more than he thought as he started to feel better once Kagome was done. He slowly sat up as his son was kneeling in front of him and said, "Dad, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. Are you all right?" The look on his son's face was one of concern.

Inutaisho started to laugh and said, "Boy you two have really grown in power. I almost had to use everything I had in order to keep you at bay, and since when can you shoot energy blast from your hand?"

Inuyasha looked down at the ground, he didn't know he could do that. He just wanted to get him away from his mate and the power just came from deep inside that allowed him to do it. "I don't know. All I know is that I didn't want you to go near my mate. I had to do something to get you away from her."

Inutaisho looked at his son and he was in deep thought. Then he got an idea, he should had seen it coming. His mate was a powerful miko so it was logical to think that his son would have some of these abilities also. "Inuyasha you are aware that your mother was a miko. So it's possible that you have inherited some of that power."

Inuyasha couldn't believe what his father was saying, that he was some kind of mahoutsukai, a male version of a miko.

Inutaisho turned to Kagome and said, "Kagome, I want you to teach him how to use his mahoutsukai powers. These are new to him and its something that I can't teach him how to control. So I'm putting my faith in you that you can teach him how to control it."

Kagome smiled as she turned to her mate and said, "You are so going to work your ass off for me."

Inuyasha eyes grew big as he moaned. He knew that it was a bad idea to let Kagome train him in using his mahoutsukai powers.

Inutaisho was enjoying seeing his son distress at the remark his mate had just made. He noticed that Kagome was wearing the necklace she had on the day that he and Inuyasha went to ask for her hand in marriage. "Kagome, what kind of stone is that on the necklace?"

Kagome's hand reached up and touched the necklace around her neck, she had forgotten she had been wearing it, as she said, "I don't know what kind of stone it is my mother was the keeper of it until the day I got married. Then she passed it down to me for safe keeping until I have a daughter that I can give it to."

Inutaisho was fascinated. The stone seemed to radiate power from within, he took a closer look at it and felt the barrier that the stone had around it. He couldn't touch it even if he wanted to. It pulsated with power as Kagome held it in her hand.

"Hmm, a very unusual stone. I have never seen the like before. It seems to have a power all its own. It won't let me get near it. Inuyasha see if you can touch the stone." His father said as he watched with interest.

Inuyasha was able to touch the stone with no problem but as soon as Inutaisho tried to touch it, it sent an electrifying shock towards him preventing him from touching it. "I'm going to have to do some research on this stone. I have never seen anything like it. A miko can touch it but not a full demon, interesting."

Inutaisho got up off the ground as he said, "I think that we should call it a day for training. You two need to rest after the ordeal you had in the forest three days ago. We will meet down here tomorrow for some more training." He turned and walked away from them as he made his way into the castle.

Inutaisho was hurting those two really put him through his paces today. He almost had to use all of his strength to battle them. They grew in power so fast that soon they will surpass his own. He was afraid that if his son challenged for the right to lead that he could actually win the fight. This thought pleased him to no end. Yes his son was very strong indeed.

oOo

Shawn had finally finished the letter to his lord. It was long detailing everything that had happened in the past three days. He sneaked outside and found a rock to put it under as he quickly made his way back in before he was discovered missing.

The little raccoon had been waiting for something to do. He saw Shawn come out of the underground layer as he placed a letter under the rock for him. He slowly made his way towards it as he looked like he was foraging for food. When he got to the letter he quickly picked up the rock and grabbed the letter as he made his way deeper into the forest.

He continued to run until he was sure that he wasn't followed as he turned into a hawk and made his way toward the Western Lands. He flew with speed because this letter contained a lot more information in it than the last one. Something was about to happen in order for the young youkai to put this much detail into his letter.

oOo

Inutaisho was in his office researching the stone that Kagome had around her neck. He was sure that he had heard or read something about that stone before as he continued to pour over his books.

He heard a noise and looked up to see his old friend sitting on his desk with a letter from Shawn. It was thick as he took the letter from his friend. He opened his desk drawer and pulled out the metal box that the bird was excited about seeing. He opened it and then pulled a piece of meat from the box and gave it to the bird as he put the box away.

He opened the letter and started to read what Shawn had to say. Inutaisho heart just dropped at the first few sentences Shawn had written, he now knew who the other traitor might be.

My Lord, I wanted to express my sincere condolences for the lost of the two pups. I know that Kagome must be devastated to learn that she has lost them, but the news that she still had one left must be a great comfort to her.

Only a hand full of people had knowledge to this event. He himself, Inuyasha, Miroku, Healer Chu who has been in his employment since his father was alive, and Healer Sunni, which he didn't know anything about. He came into his employment a couple of years ago, but he really didn't know anything about him.

He continued to read Shawn's letter as it gave him explicit details of what was coming. He had a month at least to get ready. He agreed with Shawn, a month from now Kagome wouldn't be in any shape to fight. The pup will start taking her strength away and she would start sleeping a lot more. Inuyasha would become more protective of her and he will not leave her side.

He sat back in his chair as he saw the hawk still sitting on his desk. He smiled and said, "The information that Shawn sent back is very disturbing. They plan to attack here in the Western Lands in a month's time when Kagome is unable to battle and Inuyasha will stay by her side.

We have to meet the threat head on and I have a month to plan it all. On top of all that I think I might've found out who the last traitor is in my castle. I have to make sure that anything I do doesn't get back to that human or else Shawn might be in danger."

The bird squawked and chirped, Will you allow Kagome and Inuyasha to fight in this battle?

Inutaisho replied, "I don't know, I know they're strong but to put Kagome in that situation will be a risk. If I can battle without her and my son then I will do it. I'm sure that we can face the threat once it gets here. I have to make sure that the army is ready."

The bird squawked again, What should Shawn do when the battle commences?

Inutaisho said, "When they attack I want Shawn to come back. It doesn't make any sense for him to stay there any longer. Make sure you keep an eye on him and that he doesn't get hurt."

The bird agreed to his request as he took off into the sky to return to his duty.

Inutaisho continued to ponder what to do. He had to get his son and mate up to their full potential before the impending attack. He had to make sure that they can protect each other incase they got through his line of defense and they came after them. It was going to be a long month before all this is over with.

oOo

Shawn had been correct in a lot of things. One that Naraku was obsessed with killing Inuyasha and Kagome. He was obsessed with capturing them before but now all he wanted was their death because he knew he couldn't capture them.

In the weeks that followed the escape of the hanyou and the girl Naraku started revealing his plan to Shawn. It was an elaborate plan in which he not only would be taking on the Western Lands but also the Eastern Lands.

He reasoned that if he didn't attack the Eastern Lands they would come to the aid of the Western Lands and they could defeat them. The attacks had to happen at the same time in order for his plan to work. With them attacking at the same time they won't be able to help each other and they would be split to defend their kingdoms.

They knew each area's weaknesses, strength, and might. They had a plan for all of it as Naraku continued to explain.

They would attack head on with a group heading towards the area where they had their prey. They would capture them if they could but if the resistance was strong then they will kill them.

He explained that Inutaisho weakness was his son and mate. Especially the girl now that she was carrying the heir to both the Southern and Western Lands. If they could get the girl then west would fall. They wouldn't want to see her get hurt so they would surrender of their own free will.

In the east they knew that Sesshomaru's prized possession was his mate. No one knew what she looked like because he kept her out of everyone's sight. If no one knew what she looked like then they wouldn't be able to get to her. She could be disguised, as a normal household servant and no one would know it was her, but Naraku had gotten a description of his mate. So she shouldn't be hard to find.

He had hand picked the men for the assault on the castle to go after the girl and the hanyou. The main body will fight the battle in the battlefield against the demon and his soldiers.

Shawn listened intently to everything he said, he had everything planned out. He had almost all of the information he needed to carry out the strikes at both locations.

Shawn had to give Naraku some credit. He knew every low life scum that walked the face of the earth that would do anything for money. He had somehow managed to gather demon followers. They had arranged to have a demon army ready to attack at each location.

The demons were tired of the laid back attitudes of the current rulers and didn't want the kingdom's merged. So they had joined forces with the humans in order to stop what was happening.

On a couple of occasions Naraku had taken Shawn along to some of his meetings. He was glad that his concealment spell was a strong one and that the demons in the room couldn't break it. He knew a lot of them and some he didn't know but they were all there for the same thing. They wanted to kill Kagome and Inuyasha because they represented a threat in their lives.

The demons didn't want anything to do with humans but in order to defeat their enemy they had to unite with them.

Shawn had a problem. He had a lot of information that he needed to get back to his lord. With the facility on lock down and all of the exits being guarded, there was no way for him to get outside to drop it off to his friend that would take it back to the Western Lands.

He was in his room as he finished the last piece of information and stuffed it all into an envelope to be delivered to his lord. He was pondering what his next course of action should be when he heard a small scratch coming from somewhere behind him by the door. His eyes went toward the location to see what it was.

It was dark. He had to keep it that way so no one knew he was awake when everyone was suppose to be asleep. The scratching became persistent as he got up from his chair and walked toward the noise. His eyes grew big when he saw what it was.

oOo

Outside the raccoon was growing weary of waiting for Shawn to come out of the cave. It had been a while since he had sent a message to the Western Lands. The raccoon sat in his perch in the tree contemplating what was going on. He hadn't seen Shawn for two weeks now.

Then it dawned on him. He hadn't seen anyone from the underground facility come out. The usual humans that would sneak out of the cave had not been seen in a while. Something was going on.

He sat there for a while thinking, he had to find a way into the facility so he could find out what was going on. If Shawn had another letter ready he could take it from him and head back toward the Western Lands. He had promised his friend that he would look after the young inu youkai and he would keep his word.

He made his way out of the tree, that he was sitting in, and went toward the metal door that lead to the inside of the facility. He looked at it. In his current form he couldn't get in, he was too big. There was a small opening at the bottom of the door that a mouse might be able to get through.

He changed his form into a mouse and headed inside. He kept to the side near the wall as he traveled. He was able to pick up the scent of the young inu youkai's as he followed it. Soon he came to a door where Shawn's scent was the strongest, he started to make a hole between the small gaps in the door. He scratched, bit, and clawed his way into the room.

When he was finally able to get in he saw Shawn sitting on the floor looking right at him. He walked over to him and sat in front of him as he transformed into a small dog. He couldn't speak in their normal language but he could speak Inu Youkai that he knew Shawn could understand.

: Young one, it's been a while since you have sent any word to his lord:

: Yes I know, but I have been unable to get out of this place to deliver the message to you:

: Do you have a message ready to go out:

: Yes I do, its very important that he gets this. It includes the plan for the attack:

: Give it to me and I will see that he gets it:

Shawn reached over and gave him the letter as the small dog took it in his mouth. When he transformed back into a mouse the letter had also shrunk with him as he made his way out the door to the outside.

It took longer to get outside as they were changing the guards and he didn't want to be seen. Once he was outside he transformed into a raccoon. He didn't want to be attacked and the raccoon was big enough to fight off unwanted predators. Once he was sure he had no one following him he changed into a hawk and raced back to the Western Lands.

oOo

Kagome awoke leaning up against a tree. She felt the breeze hitting her in the face as her mind finally caught up with her. She was wondering where she was because she had never been here before.

She slowly sat up and looked for Inuyasha but he was gone, 'I wonder where Inuyasha could be?'

She was about to stand but found that she couldn't, she felt really weak and she didn't know why. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the tree trying to steady her body so she could stand.

When she opened her eyes again she saw a very beautiful woman standing in front of her. She was fairly tall, of slim figure, and had long ebony color hair. Her skin looked soft and smooth. She had a beautiful smile on her face and she carried herself with dignity and refinement.

She had on a beautiful white kimono with a green obi. The kimono was decorated with beautiful lilies and it looked like it was her favorite flower.

She walked over to Kagome and sat down next to her. She smiled and asked "How are you feeling, Kagome?

Kagome looked at her and wondered how in the hell she knew her name, "I feel fine just but extremely tired. I have no idea why I feel this way." Said Kagome as she rested her head back and closed her eyes.

Kagome knew that the woman sitting next to her would never hurt her. How she knew she couldn't say but at the moment she was trying to concentrate on her body.

She started to glow blue as her healing powers started to spread around her body. Once she was done she felt a lot better and with more energy. She opened her eyes and noticed that the strange woman was still sitting next to her.

She smiled at her and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude, but who are you? You seem to know my name but I'm sure we have never meet before."

Izayoi smiled and said, "Well I know we have never meet before but I know all about you through Inuyasha."

"Inuyasha? How do you know my mate?" Kagome asked with a hint of fear in her heart.

"He's my son." Izayoi watched as Kagome's eyes grew big and she paled. Izayoi reached for her and told her to breath in deep.

Kagome did and started to calm down from the fright she was just given. The color started to come back to her face as she said, "I thought Inuyasha said you had died a long time ago. I guess I heard him wrong."

Izayoi laughed and said, "No he was right, I did die a long time ago." She saw Kagome's face pale again and said, "Kagome, please calm down you're having a dream, I wanted to speak with you so I brought you here so we could talk."

Kagome looked up at her face and said, "This is a dream? I'm really sleeping right now and you're in my dream."

"Kagome, what was the last thing you remembered before you woke up here?" asked Izayoi as she saw Kagome concentrating on her question.

"The last thing I remember was sparring with your son. I think I tripped, then nothing." Kagome said as she furrowed her eyebrows together in thought.

"Yes, that's exactly what happened only you hit your head and are unconscious at the moment." Izayoi said as she watched Kagome and then continued.

"Kagome, I can't stay for long. Inuyasha is going to panic, unless you wake up soon. The final battle is on it way here to the Western Lands. You and Inuyasha must unite as one to fight. If you don't Inuyasha could lose his father.

The jewel around your neck will allow the both of you to use its power to defeat this evil, but you must beware, you can only use it once. The jewel will amplify yours and Inuyasha's powers ten fold. It will take a great deal of energy and you have to save not only the Western Lands but also the Eastern Lands.

Inuyasha is not ready to rule and without his father to guide him…" She hesitated before she continued; "I know that the three of you together united as one can defeat the evil that is coming. You must also cast a containment spell to surround the pup that will prevent it from draining your power while you are fighting." She looked up from her hands to stare at Kagome.

Kagome was sitting there digesting everything when she saw Izayoi lift her head, and then Kagome said, "I understand, I won't let anything happen to Inuyasha's father. We will defeat this evil. I give you my word."

Izayoi smiled and then said, "Kagome, I must go my time here is done. Please take care of yourself and if you ever need me just hold my sword in your hand and ask your question, I will hear you."

Kagome then smiled and said her thanks to Inuyasha's mother.

"Kagome its time for you to wake up." Izayoi said as she started to fade away.

Kagome just looked at her and then everything went dark.

oOo

Inuyasha was starting to panic he didn't think he had even hit his mate but she was unconscious and was not moving. He picked her up in his arms and was about to run back to the castle when Kagome moved in his arms.

He stopped as he looked intently at her. Kagome's eyes slowly opened as she got her focus back. She noticed that Inuyasha was holding her in his lap. She then realized what his mother had said and then asked, "What happened?" as she reached for her forehead with her right hand.

Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief. She seemed to be acting normal. "Kagome, I'm sorry I didn't think that I hit you with my blast. Are you all right?"

Kagome looked at him and said, "No Inuyasha you didn't hit me, I tripped and hit my head on something."

Inuyasha quickly moved to look at her head to see if she was injured, he found nothing and hugged her in relief. "Kagome maybe we should quit training for today its almost midday and you should be tired by now."

Kagome nodded her agreement as they both got up and went toward the castle. They stopped by the kitchen to get something to eat and Kaede had lunch ready for them.

Once they were done they continued to go upstairs and then Kagome got an idea, "Inuyasha, why don't you go on without me. I'm going to go and find Sango. I want to speak to the castle healer. I want to learn as much as possible about demon physiology and I'm sure that Sango would like to join me. I will meet you later for dinner alright."

Inuyasha wasn't happy. He didn't want her to go off on her own. So he said, "How about we both find Sango together then I'll leave you. I don't want you walking around by yourself."

Kagome sighed, she knew he was being over protective and there was nothing she could do about it. So together they went off to find her friend.

Sango was coming down the stairs from her chambers when she met Inuyasha and Kagome who were looking for her. Kagome explained to her friend that they should go see the castle healer to see if they could learn about demon physiology. She wanted to be a better mother and learn how to properly care for her pup once it was born.

Once the two girls were together Inuyasha left and went toward his fathers office. He wanted to see if he had found out anything about the stone that Kagome was wearing.

Sango and Kagome walked towards the healer section of the castle. They walked slowly as they got a chance to catch up. The castle was so big that they never saw each other.

Sango had told her friend that she spends her days out in the field not to far away from the castle. She has actually found peace in this place and she was happy for the first time in her life, since her parents had died.

Kagome was happy for her friend. She had been worried about her ever since her family had died. She was always depressed and never seemed to care about anything. Ever since Miroku came into her life and they had mated, she had seen her friend happy for the first time in a long while.

Sango had another surprise for her friend when she told her that she had been training. She was learning to fight so she wouldn't be so helpless. She was getting pretty good and she wanted to one day take her and her mate on in training. She reasoned that she couldn't get any better if her opponents were weak.

Kagome had to laugh, she was happy that her friend had found a place that she could be happy. She was even more ecstatic that she wanted to learn how to fight. She agreed to having her come down and train with her and Inuyasha the following morning.

Sango was happy at least this way she could improve on the skills she had already learned.

They continued to walk until they came to the healer's section of the castle. They went in search of the main healer, Inuyasha had told her where she could find him, so they could ask their questions.

They finally located Healer Chu's office. They knocked on the door and waited for an answer. They heard a, "come in," and entered.

When they entered Healer Chu got up from his desk and bowed deeply in respect, "My lady, how may I be of service?"

Kagome smiled and said, "I have been told that your are the main healer for the castle."

"Yes I am my lady, why do you ask?" he watched with interest as Kagome's eyes sparkled in the light.

"Well we were wondering if you could teach us about demon physiology. We are healers in the human world and we want to help in case you need it. Plus with me carrying Inuyasha's pup I need to learn how to take care of it and Inuyasha in case they get sick or injured." Kagome said as she eyed the healer eagerly.

Healer Chu was honored, "My lady, I would be happy to show you everything you need to know. In return I would like to learn as much as possible about humans. In this way we will be able to help each other."

Kagome agreed to his terms as they started the lessons on demon and human physiology.

oOo

Healer Sunni had been walking down the hallway heading toward a more secluded part of the castle. He was on his way to a meeting on how to get the prisoners out of the dungeons.

They were being interrogated and soon they will break and tell Lord Inutaisho anything he wanted to know. They couldn't risk them breaking down and talking so they were going to break them out of the dungeons.

He spotted the princess and her friend heading toward Healer Chu office and knock upon his door. 'Hmm, I wonder what they're doing down here?'

Once he saw them go into his office he looked around and found that the hallways were empty and went to listen by the door. He heard everything. 'So they are going to be down here all afternoon. If I capture the princess and take her away from here then Naraku won't have to attack the Western Lands. That way I can prevent all of those demons from getting hurt.'

He quickly turned as he went down the hallway looking for his men. They had to set a plan into motion. They were going to get the girl and leave this place before Lord Inutaisho found out what was going on.

Kagome and Sango were sitting in Healer Chu office as they were exchanging medical ideas for treating humans and demons alike. They all learned a lot from each other as they heard a knock on the door. Healer Chu stopped talking with Kagome and Sango as he said, "Come In."

Healer Sunni came into his office and said, "Excuse me Healer Chu but you are needed in the main part of the castle. There was an accident and they have called for you."

Healer Chu rose to his feet and said, "I'm sorry my lady but we are going to have to continue this tomorrow. Please come back and see me at the same time." He bowed and left his office.

Kagome and Sango got ready to leave as Healer Sunni said, "My lady, I understand that you are interested in demon physiology, we have some wounded soldiers in the infirmary, if you would like I could show you how to treat their wounds."

Kagome eyed the healer in front of her. She clearly didn't like him and there was the fact that he knew that they were interested in demon physiology. There was also something about him that made the hair standup in the back of her neck. She said, "Thank you for the offer but I think we will wait for Healer Chu to escort us."

Kagome and Sango walked past him as they left the office. They were walking down the hallway when they were both grabbed from behind.

Kagome started to scream and they put a hand over her mouth to keep her silent. The demons that were holding them were very strong. They felt the fear running through their bodies as Healer Sunni came closer to them and said, "My lady, you are to come with us. Now we will end what was started months ago. The merging of the two kingdoms will not happen and everything will stay the way it is. We have someone that wants to meet you and would pay any price to have you in his grasp."

Both girls were struggling in the demons grasp as they started to pull them down the hallway to escape the castle. Then Kagome's and Sango's mating marks burst into action as the marks sent out a blast of their mates youkai power.

The demons that were holding on to them screamed in pain as they released their hold on the girls. Once the girls got free from their capturers they started to run.

The demons quickly recovered and started after them. Kagome seeing the danger stopped and said to her friend, "Sango, run quickly and get some help, I will try to hold them off."

Sango continued to run as she started screaming at the top of her lungs for someone to come and help them.

Kagome stood her ground as she put a powerful barrier around the demons that were chasing them. She used almost all of her strength to keep them at bay until help arrived.

The demons were strong though as they broke through her barrier and Healer Sunni grabbed Kagome by the neck and pinned her to the wall. Kagome became enraged at the way this bastard was treating her. She started to lose control of her anger as she started to change.

She heard a challenge off to the side and saw Mike coming to her rescue. He wasn't a very big youkai but he had plenty of heart. He came to her defense as he caused Healer Sunni to release his hold on the princess. Kagome fell to her knees gasping for air, as Mike was standing in front of her protecting her with his life.

Mike charged baring his fangs and flexing his claws as the demons came closer to the princess. The demons caught him in the chest as they sent him flying through the air and he hit the wall on the opposite side of the hallway. He slowly slid down the wall and was unconscious by the time he hit the ground.

Kagome slowly stood. Her head was down hiding her eyes from her enemy. They had made a big mistake in attacking her and they were going to pay with their lives.

The demons came charging towards her as she sent a powerful miko blast that hit them square in the chest and sent them flying back down the hallway. When she looked up her eyes were blood red, she had claws and fangs. On her face two purple stripes appeared on each side of her cheeks as she looked at the unconscious youkai who had come to her aid.

She flexed her claws as she said with a menacing growl, "Now you will pay for hurting him. He was only trying to protect my pup and me. HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO HIM!" She was seriously pissed as she went after the demons that wished to do her harm.

oOo

Inuyasha went walking toward his father's office. When he finally got there he stopped and knocked gently on the door.

Inutaisho had his head buried in the books in front of him. He knew that he was getting closer to finding the answer on the jewel. He heard the knock on his door and said, "Come in." Never once looking up from the book he was reading.

Inuyasha upon hearing his father opened the door and stepped inside. His eyes grew big when he saw all of the books that were in front of him. He couldn't see his father only the sea of books.

He stepped in and said, "Dad are you in here?"

Inutaisho looked up but he couldn't see his son. He didn't know he had placed so many books in front of him, so he stood up.

When Inuyasha saw his father he chuckled and said, "I thought I'd come and help you research the jewel that Kagome is wearing. I didn't know I would have to dig you out of your office."

Inutaisho growled as he said, "Well I have already been through most of these books. There's only a few left to go through and if we don't find the answer in these books then there are a lot more books for us to search."

Inuyasha groaned as he stepped forward and grabbed a book out of the stack that his father had indicated he hadn't looked through.

A few hours passed and they were still no closer to finding the answer they were seeking on Kagome's gem. Inutaisho looked up from his book and said, "Inuyasha, is Kagome all right? I have never known her to take a nap this long before."

Inuyasha looked up from his book and said, "She and Sango went to the healers section of the castle. They wanted to learn everything about demon healing. Even though Kagome can heal anyone she wanted to broaden her knowledge on demon physiology. She said it would make her a better mother."

Inutaisho was beginning to panic, he had forgotten to tell his son about Healer Sunni, "Inuyasha we have to go find Kagome and Sango, they're in danger"

Inuyasha's eyes grew big as he heard his father's words. "What do you mean they're in danger? How can they be in danger in the castle? It's supposed to be safe here."

Inutaisho was growling as he stood up from his chair and said, "Healer Sunni is the other traitor we have in our mist. If he spots Kagome in the healers section of the castle he might decide to attack and take her from here."

Inuyasha didn't need to hear anything else as he leaped from his chair and made for the door to look for his mate. Just as he was about to reach the door he stopped dead in his tracks. His mating mark came to life and exploded with power.

He went weak in the knees as he fell to the floor. His father was right next to him as he was trying to help him stand.

Inuyasha was breathing hard as he said, "Mate!" and started to growl viciously as he started to transform into his youkai form. His eyes turned blood red as his fangs and claws grew longer. The two purple strips appeared on each side of his cheeks as a new feature was added he had a golden half moon on his forehead.

Inuyasha growled as he pushed his father aside and rushed out the door after his mate. The door to Inutaisho office wasn't even open but it didn't matter to his son, he went crashing through it in order to reach his mate.

Inuyasha rushed with inhuman speed down to the healer's section of the castle as his demon senses were telling him where his mate was located. The pup was still too underdeveloped to survive another attack. His demon senses came to life as he continued to race through the castle.

Inutaisho was following his son through the castle as he howled for his guard to follow. Miroku joined the group as he started to pick up speed because he too had felt his mates mating mark come to life to protect her.

They saw Inuyasha rush by Sango as Inutaisho continued to run after his son. Miroku stopped to give his mate some comfort and to find out what had happened.

Inuyasha arrived at the place where his mate was battling with three demons and she was in her demon form. He became enraged as he went after the offending males.

Kagome was battling the demons that wanted to hurt her and her pup. She was using her sword but they were proving to be difficult to defeat.

Inuyasha seeing his mate in danger quickly moved in and got in front of her to protect her and the pup. He battled the demons as they fell one by one, by just using his claws. He heard a cry from behind him as he quickly turned around to find a demon holding his mate by her throat against the wall.

Kagome was completely taken by surprise as a demon came running in and grabbed her by her neck and roughly smashed her against the wall. He was squeezing her neck as she cried out in pain.

She saw her mate turn around and was about to attack when the demon said, "Now, now, I wouldn't do that if I were you. If you want your mate and pup to live you will stay where you are."

Inuyasha stopped his advance as Sunni had his claws up about to cut Kagome stomach wide open and kill the pup.

Inutaisho rushed in to see what was going on and said, "Sunni! Let her go!"

Sunni turned towards him and said, "No! I will not let her go. She is the source of all the trouble around here. Until your son met and mated with this wench everything was fine in our kingdom. Now you want to merge both the human and demon worlds and we can't allow that to happen. She must die in order for everything to be set right."

Inuyasha growled fiercely as he took another step forward trying to get to his mate.

Sunni seeing that the hanyou was advancing put his claws up against Kagome's stomach. He dug his claws into the skin of her stomach as he drew blood and Kagome screamed in pain.

Inuyasha stopped his advance as he heard his mate's cries. He was helpless to help her in anyway. If he went towards her that bastard would cut her stomach open and kill the pup.

Kagome winced in pain as she felt the demons claws starting to dig into her stomach. Then something deep inside awakened as her eyes flashed in anger, she got a burst of energy as she said, "DON'T TOUCH MY PUP!"

Kagome's fist went right through the healer's chest as he finally let go of her. Sunni landed on the floor dead as Kagome looked at what she had done. She was breathing hard as she looked at everyone around her. She started to cry as she ran down the hallway. She had left so suddenly that no one tried to stop her from leaving.

Inuyasha saw his mate running off and went after her as everyone looked on in awe. They never expected Kagome to act this way. Her demon instincts kicked in as the maternal mother in her came out to protect her pup.

The healer should've known that when you attack a breeding bitch you must be prepared to pay the consequences if you don't kill her out right. Females are viciously protective of their unborn pups and even more dangerous once they're born.

Inutaisho walked over to the healer and stared down at him. Well at least the last of the traitors was dead so no more information should be leaked out to that human. But he had to remain on guard, he couldn't let on that he knew about the impending attack.

He turned around to find a lot of people standing around looking at the scene as he growled, "Why are all of you standing around for? Don't you have anything better to do?"

Everyone quickly disbursed as he went after his son and mate. He didn't want them to be outside unprotected. He gathered his soldiers and left, following his son's scent into the forest.

oOo

Sango and Miroku watched as everyone left the area. Miroku was just happy that nothing happened to his mate. He put his arms around her waist as they both slowly walked away from the scene.

Sango was unusually quiet as they walked, Miroku became concerned that she might've been hurt in her ordeal and asked, "Sango, are you all right?"

Sango looked up at her mate and asked, "Miroku what happened to Kagome? She didn't look like my friend and the way she killed that demon. How could she do that?"

Miroku was surprised at the amount of questions she had but then he remembered that she had never seen Kagome as a demon before. "Sango my sweet, Kagome has the ability to turn into a demon if she gets angry enough. When the demon was threatening her pup and he tried to take it away from her she reacted in the only way a inu youkai would under the circumstances."

Sango heard his words and became scared, "Miroku, am I going to turn into a demon?" She had stopped walking as she faced her mate waiting for an answer.

Miroku saw the fear in her eyes as he said, "I don't know Sango. I have never known you to lose your temper so I would say no. But there is a possibility that you may turn into one if the situations warrants."

Sango heard his words and started to think, 'If I get angry then I can become a full demon just like Kagome. She didn't look like my friend when she transformed, she almost looked like a wild animal out of control, but if she was an animal why would she start crying when she saw what she did?' Her thoughts confused her as she started walking again and Miroku fell into step with her.

Miroku looked at his mate with concern, he knew she was worried about turning into a demon as they approached their sleeping quarters. They entered the room as Sango went and sat on the bed still deep in thought.

Miroku came and sat next to her as he put his arms around her and said, "Sango, not everybody turns into a demon from a mating. It's different for everyone and you shouldn't let it bother you. I've heard stories where a human female never turn into a youkai no matter how mad she gets."

Sango heard his words and started to calm down. She knew she shouldn't be afraid if she did turn into one. "Will I know who you are if I did?"

Miroku smiled as he said, "Even if you didn't recognized me I will make you remember that I'm your mate. You can never hurt me so I will fight to make you understand. Then I will make you submit to me like the first night we ever mated."

Sango turned bright red as she remembered the night that they had first mated. He could make her do anything he wanted to on that day and she couldn't turn him down. He wrapped his arms around her as he leaned in and kissed her to quiet her fears.

Sango was going into heat and he could tell. They will be in his chambers for the next few days until it was over and he was going to make her feel like she was in heaven for those few days and for all eternity if she let him.

They continued to kiss as the heat between them was building and she submitted to his will.

oOo

Kagome was running through the forest. She was ashamed at what she had done. 'How could I kill someone like that, I was actually enjoying seeing him wither from my attack.' The tears continued to flow as she ran through the forest.

Inuyasha continued to chase his mate deeper into the forest. He didn't know what was wrong but he was determined to catch her. The scent of her tears made his body go faster as he raced after her. He wasn't about to let her get away from him.

He finally caught up with her as he leaped and grabbed her from behind and they both went down. He turned so he wouldn't hurt her from the impact, as they skidded to a stop.

Kagome was struggling in his arms as he brought his fangs to his mating mark and bit down on her shoulder. He broke just the surface of her skin to clam her and she did. He licked her wound closed as he turned her in his grasped and held her down by her wrist to make sure she wouldn't escape from him.

Her eyes were still blood red as he leaned down and kissed her as he started to purr. She relaxed completely in his grasp as she submitted to him and he gladly accepted. When he looked at her again her eyes were back to normal.

He sat up bringing her along with him as he placed her on his lap and she started to cry all over again. He rocked her gently as he held her in his arms, when she quieted down he asked, "Kagome, why are you crying? Are you hurt?"

Kagome held onto her mate as she said, "I can't believe that I killed Sunni like that, I mean I've killed demons before but never with my bare hands. He was hurting me and when he touched my pup I lost it. I couldn't control what I was doing anymore." She held Inuyasha tighter as she wept.

Inuyasha knew what she was talking about as he tried to explain. "Kagome when you turned full youkai your instincts are to protect your young. It doesn't matter that the pup hasn't been born yet, you protected it the way any mother protects her pup. Please Kagome, don't cry anymore. I hate to see you cry."

When he saw that she wouldn't calm down he started to purr and that calmed her immediately. He continued to purr until she had fallen asleep in his arms. He looked down at her sleeping form and then at her wounds. They were already healing as he heard the pup's heartbeat.

Then Inuyasha thought back to something his father had said, 'This pup will be strong. With everything its been through it will be a fighter.' He smiled as he held his mate even closer to him.

He looked around the area and knew he was deep in the forest, he needed to get out of here and head back toward the castle before someone decided to attack him with an unconscious mate in his arms.

He got up from the ground bringing Kagome with him as he turned and headed back toward the castle.

He was running back as he started to sense someone following him. He stopped as he raised his nose into the air and sniffed. He caught the scent of youkai. There were two of them that were following him. He knew he couldn't stay and fight. His mate was with him and she was unconscious thanks to him. He growled as he turned and raced off toward the castle trying to get back before the demons caught up to him.

oOo

The demons had been in the forest waiting for Sunni to come with the girl. They had their orders to bring the girl to the human in the protected lands. They were sitting there waiting for him when they caught the scent of the girl and her mate.

Sunni wasn't with her so that meant that something had happened to him. They took it upon themselves to go after the girl and her mate. If they could kill them then all this fighting will end and the two kingdoms will never be merged.

They raced through the forest as they sensed that the male was heading back to Lord Inutaisho castle with his mate. They couldn't allow him to reach the castle no matter what, so they doubled their efforts and went after him.

They were getting close. With the male carrying the female he wasn't as fast as he could be. They raced through the forest as they saw the hanyou ahead of them. One of the demons broke off to intercept the hanyou as he ran.

Inuyasha was getting nervous, he could feel the demons close by as he continued to run with his mate. He skidded to a stop when he saw a demon in front of him blocking his way back to the castle. He turned to find the other one behind him as he was surrounded by the demons.

Inuyasha growled his warning to them as he backed away from the approaching youkai.

The demons just kept coming towards him as they said. "Now you will die for betraying your kind you worthless half breed. We should've known that you would never mate with a youkai, all you want is that stinking human you hold in your arms with that half breed pup."

Inuyasha became enraged at the youkai's comments about his mate. He transformed back into his youkai form as his blood red eyes looked at his enemy. He knew that he couldn't fight with his mate in his arms so he placed her against a tree behind him and placed a protective barrier around her.

He stood as he faced his enemy and unsheathed the Tetsusaiga. The sword immediately transformed into a large fang as the demons stopped their approach.

They looked at the sword that he held in his hand and it radiated power, more power than they thought possible.

Inuyasha smirked as he said, "Now you will pay for your insults. She is my mate and she is worthy to be called my bitch, whether you like it or not." His anger started to flare as he brought his sword forward to protect his mate.

The demons didn't know what to do they saw the swords power grow ten fold as his aura was growing in power. They made their choice as they both attacked without mercy.

They split their attack as one went after the hanyou and the other went after the girl.

The one demon that was going after Kagome thought that he had her. She was unconscious and unprotected as he charged. What he didn't expect was the strong barrier that was placed around her. He made contact with the barrier and screamed in pain as he was thrown clear across the clearing for trying to hurt his mate.

Inuyasha was holding his own against the demon in front of him, then he felt when the other demon made contact with his barrier. It took almost everything he had to keep it up and still fight the demon in front of him. They were big, as big as the demon that had challenged his father that one time in the clearing, the one that Kagome killed with his mother's sword.

He had to wake Kagome. He needed her to be awake so she can defend herself. He didn't know how much longer he could keep the barrier up if he didn't. He touched his mating mark as he sent a message to his mate, "Kagome I need your help! Please wake up, Kagome."

Kagome felt her mating mark come to life as it sent a jolt of power to her that woke her up from her sleep. She opened her eyes to find her mate battling with two giant demons. She saw him get hit as he went flying into a tree and hit it with full force.

"INUYASHA!" she screamed as she became fully awake and drew her sword from its sheath, standing up in the process.

The demons heard the girls cry for her mate as they turned towards her and saw that she was fully awake. The barrier around her went down as soon as the male hit the ground, and they turned to attack her.

Kagome saw the demons coming towards her as she let her rage take over. They had hurt her mate as she turned full youkai and transformed her sword into a bow and arrow. She took aim and fired as she hit the closet demon to her. The force of her arrow blew the demon apart as it sent the other one backwards from the impact.

She rushed over to her mate to see if he was hurt. When she finally got there he was trying to get up to join the fight. She kneeled by his side and said, "Mate" and started to purr as they held each other.

The other demon had gotten his second wind back as he charged toward the two that were preoccupied with each other. At that moment another demon came out of the forest and charged toward the offending demon as he said; "Now you will die!"

oOo

Inutaisho was racing through the forest chasing his son and mate. When Kagome had taken off she was in her demon form that made her even faster than her human form.

He was following his son's scent through the forest in order to reach him. He knew that there was danger near by because he could sense it.

Then he felt his son's fear and knew he was in trouble. He doubled his efforts as he raced faster than even he thought possible, leaving his men behind to follow. He reached a clearing and saw as Kagome killed one of the demons with her arrow as she rushed over to her mate.

He saw as the second demon was heading towards them as he rushed in and said, "Now you will die!" His claws came down as it made contact with the demon and he killed it instantly for trying to hurt his son and mate.

He turned in the direction of his son and saw Kagome taking a stand against him to defend her mate. She was in her demon form and she didn't know who he was. She growled viciously at him as he made his way towards her, he had to get to her before she could hurt anyone else in the area.

Kagome stepped in front of her mate in order to protect him from the new threat. She had sensed the other demon coming towards her, as she got up and was about to release her arrow.

She stopped her attack when she saw the demon in front of her come out of the forest and defeat the other demon, now he was making his way towards them.

Inuyasha was behind her on the ground with three deep claw marks on his stomach. He couldn't defend himself right now so she was protecting him.

Inutaisho walked up to her and said, "Pack female, I am the Alfa male, you will stand down and allow me to approach the beta male. We must get him back to the castle so we can tend to his wounds."

Kagome growled, as she said, "NO! I will not allow you to get near my mate."

Inutaisho growled at her and she took a step back. Even in her demon form she knew that he was powerful. She had been left weak from using all of her powers in the previous attack.

Inuyasha was hearing everything going on between his mate and his father. He tried to get up but couldn't as he said, "Mate."

Kagome turned around to look at her mate and Inutaisho took the opportunity to rush in and grab her from behind.

Kagome realizing her mistake howled her frustrations at being grabbed from behind as she summoned all of her powers to defeat this enemy. She started to glow pink as Inutaisho brought his hand up behind her neck and squeezed that certain spot and she fell unconscious in his arms.

Inuyasha hearing his mate howl in distress became enraged as he got a burst of energy and attacked the person holding his mate.

Inutaisho quickly placed Kagome on the ground as he meet his son head on. He was hurt but he was still powerful. They clashed as he quickly stepped away from his sons attack. He brought his hand up to the back of his neck and he squeezed as he too fell unconscious in his arms.

He placed him on the ground as he was panting from the fight. 'These two are getting to be a hand full. They're way stronger than before and this trick will not work in the future if they get any stronger.' He thought as he eyed his son and mate.

The rest of his soldiers came out of the forest as they looked at the scene in front of them. Two dead demons along with an equally unconscious prince and princess, they looked towards their lord who was sitting on the ground panting as they rushed in to see if he was all right.

Inutaisho looked up and said, "I'm fine and so are they. I need to get them back to the castle so they can be treated. I want everyone to return I will take them back myself."

The guards bowed at his command as they left the area and headed back toward the castle.

Inutaisho got up and summoned his transportation cloud as he placed his son and mate on it and then headed back towards the castle, glad that they were safe.

He arrived back at the castle and the healers were waiting for him. They took Kagome and Inuyasha from him as they tended to their wounds. They took them back to the healer's section of the castle because they wanted to check on Kagome's pup.

Inutaisho followed not willing to leave their side. He didn't know if they would be back to normal if they decided to wake up in the middle of an examination. He was told that Kagome's pup was all right and they had treated Inuyasha's wounds and it was healing.

They moved the couple up to Inuyasha's room and placed them in their bed and left them to rest. A seal was placed on the door to protect them while they were sleeping. He knew that Kagome could break his seal but while she was recovering from her ordeal they would at least be safe.

Inutaisho returned to his office to finish his research of Kagome's jewel.

As he approached his desk he saw the hawk enter his office as it landed on the many books on his desk. The hawk squawked and ruffed his feathers as he came towards him.

His friend was agitated for some reason as he quickly took the letter from him and opened it to read. His eyes grew wide as he read the detail of the battle plan that Shawn had sent back to him. He was prepared to defend his territory but not his other son's as well.

He sat down as he tried to think of what to do. This was very disturbing news and he had to send word back to Sesshomaru and tell him of the impending attack on his kingdom. He would have to somehow defeat the enemy here and then go help his eldest son defend his kingdom. They were after his mate as well so he would have to tell him of that piece of the plot.

'Mate? I didn't know that Sesshomaru had a mate. When did he get mated? And why hadn't he told me about this?' Thought Inutaisho with a growl as he continued to think.

The bird came closer to his friend as he ruffed his feathers to get attention.

Inutaisho looked up and said, "Oh, I'm sorry my dear friend." He reached in his desk draw and pulled out the metal box and gave his friend a piece of meat from it. For some reason his friend loved these things, now what did Miroku call them, oh yes beef jerky. To him they were just dried salty meat but his friend loved them.

He continued to sit in his chair as he thought about what to do. The attack was less than two weeks away and he had to get word to his son. He looked at his friend and said, "Would you be willing to go to Sesshomaru's kingdom with a message from me? You are the only one that I can trust to deliver it."

The hawk squawked and chirped at him. I would be honored to help you my dear friend.

Inutaisho smiled as he set to work to inform his eldest son on what was happening. He didn't know how much he knew but he would fill in all of the blanks. He knew that Sesshomaru had plenty of spies everywhere, that's how he got his information.

When he was done with his letter he gave it to his friend. The hawk took the letter in his beak and then opened his wings as he flew to the Eastern Land toward Lord Sesshomaru's castle. Hoping to get there in time to warn him of the impending battle against his kingdom.

Lord Inutaisho looked on as he saw his friend disappear into the sky. He hoped that he would make it in time. The battle was coming soon and there was nothing he could do to help his eldest son at the moment. He did promise to come to his aid once they had defeated the enemy on his land.

He just hoped that he could defeat the enemy here and still have enough energy to go help him at his kingdom. He sighed as he turned back to his work on finding out what kind of gem Kagome had. It might be the key to his problem.

oOo

The end to another chapter, the healer was the last traitor that Inutaisho had in his kingdom. No more information will be relayed back to Naraku.

Yes people in the next chapter Sesshomaru will appear with his mate. Sesshomaru will be mated with my character Jinx. She is special and she is feisty you will all have to read to find out what I mean.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Sesshomaru, Lord of the Eastern Lands, stood outside on the balcony staring at the approaching dawn. His mind was reeling with what to do. So many things have happened that he didn't know if he was coming or going.

It has been many years, too many to count, since he has spoken to his father. Since the day he mated with that worthless human female. He couldn't believe that his father would mate outside of the demon race.

In fact, human and demon mating were becoming non-existent back then. But his father had said, "That the heart knew no boundaries or race when it came to love. As long as you care deeply for that person that's all that matters."

Years later his new mate gave birth to her first pup. He was a worthless half-breed and he had refused to recognize him as his brother.

He and his father had parted company shortly after that and have not spoken or seen each other since then. He has kept tabs on what is going on in the Western Lands to make sure he wasn't taken by surprise.

About 6 months ago he got word that his half brother was taken captive by the slavers. Even though he never showed his emotions and always presented a cold exterior, he knew his father was grieving for the loss of that half-breed.

He sent out searchers to see if he could find him. But they came up empty. Then he got word that he had returned to the Western Lands along with his intended. When he heard who his intended was he was surprised. He didn't think the half-breed had it in him to mate with the Princess from the Southern Lands.

But as time progressed he heard rumors that his half brother had mated. He didn't think that the princess would accept a half-breed. Humans and demons didn't mate in this day and age. Demons were just meant to be slaves to the humans. It has been this way for centuries.

That when they had actually gone through with the mating it surprised him.

He started hearing rumors that someone was planning to take over the Western Lands. He became enraged, that someone would actually try to attack his father's lands. He didn't speak to his father but he will help him no matter what. It was his duty as the eldest and first-born, honor dictated that he offer his help even if his father refused it.

He knew that the half-breed would be no match for the might of the youkai. He depended on his father for protection and therefore, in his mind, he was weak and not fit to rule.

About three weeks ago a man by the name of Naraku contacted him. The youkai bringing him the message said that he wanted his help in defeating the Western Lord. They revealed part of the plan, saying that they were after the half-breed and his mate.

He huffed and said, "Go back to your keepers. This Sesshomaru will not be joining your little group. I have no desire to battle for the Western Lands and I don't intend on giving you any help to defeat them."

They were mad at his refusal to help. They knew that he didn't care for the half-breed they were after or his human mate. So for him to refuse their request was mind-boggling.

Now he was getting worried, if what his spies had found out was true, then his father's kingdom was in danger. The enemy had amassed a huge army in which to battle his father. He had to send help but he must also protect his kingdom and especially his mate.

His mate he thought fondly, his father didn't know about her. Very few people in his castle knew about his mate. The only one's who knew were his most trusted people.

He kept her hidden because that way they wouldn't get to her to control him. She was everything to him and his world revolved around her. It's funny, a few years ago he would've thought that he would never find a mate.

They where plenty of females youkai running around his court, they all did their best to flatter and entice him into their beds, but he would have nothing to do with them.

A low purr was heard as Sesshomaru thought about his mate. They haven't been mated for very long, as a matter of fact it has been less than a year. But the time he has been mated to her, he had been in pure heaven.

He met her about two years ago. He liked going into the human world to gain knowledge. He would frequently visit the libraries where he would spend his time reading anything he could get his hands on. It was quite and no one disturbed him as he sat and read his books.

He was a quick learner. Taking many of the ideas that the human had developed back to the Eastern Lands where improvements could be made. He developed his kingdom but not as much as the humans. They needed to keep their trees, forests, and the air pure.

One day he had visited the library at a college campus when she ran right into him on her way out of the library. She was in a hurry because she was late for class.

When she looked up at him he was captivated by her eyes. It was the most amazing thing he had ever seen. They were changing colors so fast that he couldn't determine what color they were. She was wearing a blue bib overall, black t-shirt, and flip-flops. He couldn't see all of her figure because of the clothes she was wearing but just the parts he saw he liked.

He said his apologies for running into her while he helped her gather her books. She had the biggest smile he had ever seen on anyone. She had shoulder length black hair but he could swear that there was a hint of blue in it.

Once she had gathered all of her things she took off her shoes and said her thanks, as she took off running again to get to her class. He never got the chance to ask her name as he saw her disappear into another building on the grounds.

He shook his head as he sighed, 'Strange females they have here on this campus.' He thought as he continued on his way. But he never forgot her scent. It was very pleasing to his sensitive nose, she smelled like mandarins, sweet and pure.

A couple of weeks later he caught the scent of something familiar. He had thought that he would never see her again, when he caught her scent in the wind, and decided to follow it.

He followed it into the woods when he heard a loud scream that defended his youkai ears. He rushed in the direction of the scream and when he reached it he saw the girl from a few weeks ago on the ground with an offending male on top of her about to have his way.

He rushed in so fast that the attacker didn't even see him coming. He got him off the girl as he stood in front of her protecting her. The man thought that he could hurt him but after one punch from him he quickly left the area never to return.

Sesshomaru turned his attention to the girl as he walked over to her. She was crying as she was curled into a ball on the ground shaking from her ordeal.

Then he did something that he never thought he would ever do in his life. He picked her up in his arms and held her so he could comfort her.

The girl soon stopped crying and apologized profusely, "Are you injured?" he inquired.

The girl looked up and for the first time she saw his eyes. They were as golden as the sun. He had long silver hair, was of slim built, but muscular, as she felt his muscles through the shirt, as he held her. To her he looked like the most perfect person in the world. She had to quickly look away from him to keep from drooling all over the place.

She swallowed hard and said, "No, I'm not hurt. Thank you for coming to my rescue. I owe you one." She smiled at him and continued. "Do you want to go and get some coffee or something?" She looked up with hope in her eyes that he would accept her offer.

He looked at her with an unreadable expression, years of solitude had taught him to hide his true feelings. "No, I must decline. I have business to attend to." He got up and started to walk away from her, knowing that she wasn't hurt.

The girl saw him walk away and sighed, 'Why is it that all of the cute one's never pay attention to me and the trash can't keep their hands off me.'

She got up off the ground and she dusted herself off, as she looked for her laptop. She found it under a bush from where it had been knocked out of her hands. She checked it to make sure it wasn't damaged. Once she was satisfied that it wasn't, she made her way back to campus.

Sesshomaru watched from a distance, he was curious and she was strange but her eyes fascinated him. He followed her until he knew that she was safe. Then he headed back to the Eastern Lands to tend to his duties.

That night he couldn't sleep. His encounter with that girl had him irritated. He didn't know why he kept thinking about her, so he got up out of bed and dress, as he left his castle. Maybe if he roamed the land he would feel better.

He's wondering took him back to the college were the girl was staying at. He picked up on her scent again as he followed. He spotted her sitting on the roof of the building she lived in, with her computer on her lap.

He landed on the roof and placed his concealment spell back on, as he approached her. The girl was so engrossed in what she was doing that when she looked up and saw him standing right in front of her she screamed.

Sesshomaru moved quickly to cover her mouth to prevent anyone from hearing her scream. The girl's eyes went wide with fright and then soften as she saw who it was.

He released her slowly, making sure she didn't scream as he let her go. She was breathing hard but didn't scream. Then she got an irritated look in her eyes as she said, "What in the hell are you doing up here?"

He lifted an eyebrow as he said, "I could ask you the same thing. Why aren't you sleeping like everyone else? And why are you out here all by yourself?"

The girl looked away from him, angry and frustrated. He could tell that he had pissed her off and he decided he liked the look. He watched her intently until he saw her sigh and said, "That's not fair. I asked you first. You don't answer a question with more questions."

She continued to stare at him, when he didn't answer she turned away and then answered his questions. "I don't sleep at night so in order not to wake up my roommate I come up here to relax and think."

"Why don't you sleep?" He asked with curiosity.

She glared at him and said in a angry voice, "That's my business not yours!"

'She is very defensive and not very trusting at all. Considering what almost happened to her this afternoon I don't blame her.' He continued to watch her as her eyes turned red from her anger and said, "Are you going to answer my question now or are you just going to stare at me all night?"

"I came up here because I saw someone on top of this building and I thought they needed help." He hoped that she brought his lame excuse. He couldn't tell her he just followed her scent up here.

The girl's eyes soften as the color started to change to a green. "Well next time make some noise so I can hear you coming that way you won't scare me as bad."

He agreed to her request as he sat down in front of her and continued to watch her. She picked up her computer and started playing with it again. She was completely concentrating on what she was doing when he asked, "What are you working on?"

She looked up and smiled as she turned her laptop towards him. She got the satisfaction of seeing his eyes open wide in shock. She giggled and said, "Do you like it?"

Sesshomaru looked up into her eyes and they had changed color again, they were blue this time. "Yes, its very nice did you draw this on your computer?"

"Yes I did." She smiled and went back to her work. She was making a picture of him. "But its not done yet, I still have a lot of work to do."

They sat up all night and talked about anything and everything. As dawn approached the girl stood and stretched her tired back and then she said, "I have to go. I have classes in two hours and I have to get ready for it."

She turned to leave as he said, "Wait, aren't you going to tell me your name?"

She stopped and looked at him as she considered his request, then she said in a sweet voice. "I will tell you my name if you promise to come back and pose for me."

He considered her request and then he said, "All right, I'll pose for you if you tell me your name."

She smiled and said, "My name is Jinx, and may I know your name."

"My name is Sesshomaru." He said with a hint of humor in his voice.

She smiled and said, "alright Sesshy I'll see you here tonight."

She heard a growl as he said, "My name is not Sesshy! Its Sesshomaru!" she waved her hand as she walked away from him, giggling. That was the start of their relationship.

They continued to see each other for the better part of a year. He learned a lot of things from her and he wanted her to be his mate. He finally told her the truth about himself and she was not surprised by the information.

When he asked her why she wasn't scared of him she simply said, "If you really wanted to hurt me you would've done it a long time ago."

She knew him well back then and she still does when she agreed to become his mate. He was very happy but at the same time very protective of her. There has never been a human in the castle before, so he had to be careful.

He told her that she was to remain hidden from all those in the castle. He reasoned that if they didn't know what she looked like then they wouldn't be able to take her away from him.

She agreed to his request but asked him to show her how to fight. She wanted to know in case there was any trouble so she could at least hold them off until he got there. He agreed and started to train her.

Jinx was fast learner and she became an expert with a sword in a short period of time. But when it came to hand-to-hand combat she excelled in everything she did. Being as small as she was she wanted to defend herself. She hated being helpless and he was more than willing to show her how to defend herself.

With his mate finally secure and safe he turned to the business at hand. What to do about the impeding invasion of the Western Lands? He continued to think as the object of his desire started to stir from her slumber.

He gave an inward smile as he walked back inside to be with her as she woke. He looked at her sleeping form and he couldn't help but think his father had been right. 'That the heart knew no boundaries or race when it came to love. As long as you care deeply for that person that's all that matters.'

His father would be surprised to see whom he had mated with. Even though he hadn't seen his brother in a long time he knew what his brother was going through. He would kill anyone who was trying to hurt his mate and he expected that it was the same with his brother.

He sat upon the bed looking at his mate, he lowered his head and sought her sweet lips nipping at the bottom one, asking for silent entry.

Jinx became fully awake as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her. They continued until they stopped a few hours later both exhausted and sedated at the same time.

Sesshomaru was resting with his mate when he heard a sound coming from the balcony. He got up and put his robe on as he walked outside to find his father's closest friend setting on the railing.

He walked up to him and he noticed that he had a letter in his beak as he took it from him.

The bird ruffled his feathers, squawked, and chirped at him. Young one your father has sent you this message, he says that once he defeats the threat in this kingdom he will come to help you.

The bird ruffed his feathers again as he spread his wings and started to fly back toward to the Western Lands.

Sesshomaru stood there as he held the letter in his hand. He knew it was important if his father was sending him a message and what his closest friend had said put a touch of fear in his heart.

He opened the letter as he began to read it. He was right it was bad news. Somehow his father had gotten information that they were attacking both the Western and Eastern Kingdoms. They had information on everything, he's strength, weakness, and they knew about his mate.

A small growl escaped his throat as he continued to read. Then he felt a small delicate hand touch his shoulder as he quickly looked up to see his mate standing right next to him with a big smile on her face.

Jinx saw the worried look in his eyes and said, "Sesshy, what's wrong? Why are you upset?" she had been with him long enough to know him inside and out. Even though his face was expressionless she was still able to see right through to his concerns.

He handed her the letter as she began to read it, it had the detailed plans for the attack against Sesshy's kingdom. She looked up and said, "What are we going to do? Are we going to stay and fight? Or are we going to your fathers kingdom to help him and your brother?"

He was amazed at how quickly she discerned the message and too his surprise she kept on saying 'We'. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow and said, "We are not fighting. You are to stay here hidden and I will tend to the intruders to our lands."

Jinx made to protest but he quickly cut her off. "No Jinx. If they get a hold of you then we will lose the fight. I will not risk getting you hurt. If you stay safe then we can defeat them. Without you they have no control over me."

Jinx lowered her head in defeat. She knew that he was right but it didn't make it any easier on her, and she wasn't about to give up either.

"All right since you think of me as your weakness and you don't want me to fight. At least let me help you come up with a plan of attack. I know that I can at least help you in something to protect our home." She said exasperated.

Sesshomaru looked at the determination in her eyes and he finally gave in to her request. He could never say no to her no matter how much he tried. But when it came to her safety nothing could change his resolve.

Together they sat down and started to pick his fathers letter apart. They made plans to reinforce the weak areas of the castle without anyone knowing what they were doing.

Jinx pointed out that the attacks were to happen at the same time. They needed to make sure that both kingdoms were kept safe and the best way to do that was to concentrate on the east and defeat the enemy before going to the west to help them.

Sesshomaru had to agree with her logic it did make sense to defeat the enemy in their territory first, and then head west to help. They continued to lay out the foundation for the defense of the castle and where they could put their soldiers to best defend it.

Once they had hit everything his father had told him in his letter, they had a very detailed plan of attack to defend the castle.

They left nothing to chance. They were prepared for both the human and demon soldiers. They figured that the demons would attack the frontlines as the humans went toward the castle to try and get to her. But they will have a surprise waiting for them if they did.

They finished about three hours after they had received letter. The only thing they had to do is keep it all a secret until the attack came because the only one's that they could trust were themselves.

oOo

Inutaisho was sitting in his office going through all of his books trying to find the jewel that Kagome was wearing. He knew that this was the key to the battle. He wanted desperately find the answer he was looking for.

He was on his last book when he came upon something that caught his eye. It had a picture of the exact same jewel that Kagome was wearing. 'Hmm, the jewel of hearts is said to have tremendous powers. It allows the user to increase their power by ten fold. But it can only be used once because when it was used it would drain the energy of the one using it and it would leave them helpless in an attack.

The jewel was created centuries ago in order to defeat a great evil to the land. When the land was finally freed of the evil its creator kept the jewel safe. She placed a barrier around it to prevent youkai from ever touching it. It is said that if a youkai with evil thoughts ever touched the jewel it would taint it and everyone will be in danger. Only one of pure heart and with miko powers can touch the jewel or use it's powers.'

He continued to read and found out that the miko that created the jewel passed the jewel to her daughter to keep it pure. They continued to pass it down from mother to daughter until they lost track of who had the jewel. 'Very interesting, Kagome's mother must be a direct descendant of the miko that created the jewel. That's why her mother had given her the jewel when she wed.'

He had asked his son if he had ever seen the jewel glow when anyone other than Kagome held it in their hand, he had said no. Kagome's mother didn't show any signs of being a miko that's why the jewel never glowed in her hands. But when Kagome or Inuyasha held it, it had a bright blue color that radiated from the stone and their auras began to get stronger.

This information interested him. It meant that they had a trump card incase they needed extra power to defeat the enemy.

He put the book aside to keep it safe, he wanted to come back to it and read some more. He got up from his chair as he stretched his tired back. He made his way out of his office to go and check on his son and mate.

He was in deep thought as he was walking down the hallway toward his son's room. The last time he had seen them their markings were still on their faces, meaning, they were still full youkai.

He entered his son's room and they were both still asleep. The markings were still on their faces as he groaned. He had hoped that they would be back to normal by now, but they weren't.

He sat down by his son as he looked at his injuries. He was still healing as he moaned in pain. He reached up to scratch his ears to offer some comfort to him as he settled back down. He heard a soft purr as he continued with his actions.

The only indication that there was any kind of danger was the hair standing up on the back of his neck, as he leaped aside. He had long ago learned to trust his feeling when he felt that danger was near.

He saw a claw hand barely miss him as he stood in the middle of the room with Kagome blocking his path to his son.

Kagome awoke to the sound of her mate's whimpers. She turned her head to see a demon leaning over her mate. She thought that he was hurting him when she heard his whimpers. She didn't know who he was but she was going to get him away from her mate.

She slowly rolled over and made ready her attack. She leaped with her claws extended ready to cut down her target. She saw him move quickly out of the way as she landed right in front of her mate protecting him.

They both faced each other as Kagome continued to growl and flex her claws to keep him away from her mate.

Inutaisho had no choice, as the alpha male he had to set order in his pack, he had been tolerant of her but now she has to learn her place within the pack.

He growled as he said, "Pack female, you are to move aside and let me get to the beta male." The only thing he got was a deep growl that came from Kagome.

Kagome wasn't willing the back down from her protectiveness of her mate. He was hurt and he couldn't protect himself, and she was willing to die to protect him. She got ready as she leaped and attacked.

Inutaisho saw her coming and he had no choice. He let her get closer to him as she charged. At the last minute he sidestepped and brought his hand to her throat. He held onto her as he took her down to the floor and placed her there as he held her by her neck.

Kagome was struggling against his grip. He had placed her on the ground and he was holding her there. The more she struggled the more he squeezed her throat.

Kagome finally got the idea that if she didn't move he would loosen his grip on her throat if she fought him he would tighten it. She stayed still breathing hard as he loosened his grip again.

Inutaisho saw her calm down as she quit her struggling against him. When she finally stopped he said, "Now Kagome, submit."

Kagome red eyes flashed even redder as her anger flared, "No, must protect mate."

He tightened his grip and said, "I will not hurt my pup or you! Now Submit!"

Kagome stopped struggling as she heard his words, 'His pup?' This meant something in her demon mind as she took a sniff of his scent and realized that it was almost the same as her mates only slightly different. Then she realized that he must be the leader male and submitted to him. She raised her chin and exposed her neck to him in submission.

Inutaisho smiled when he saw her submit to him, he accepted her submission as he released her neck. He helped her to stand and he went over to check on his son.

Inuyasha was still asleep. He had not woken up during his and Kagome's discussion. He was worried, even hurt his son always awoke when his mate was in trouble. He was very attuned to her.

He turned around looking for Kagome but she was not next to him. She was standing off to the side silently waiting for him to leave. She was intently looking at her mate when he said, "Kagome? It's all right for you to come near your mate."

Kagome just looked at the ground and stayed back out of the way until she was welcomed into the pack. Leader male had not accepted her as a pack member and until he did she was an outcast.

Inutaisho watched the girl with interest. She wouldn't come near his son. Then he remembered something that he had forgotten to do. He thought of her as a human and he forgot that she was a youkai at the moment, as he walked over to her.

He put his arms around her small frame and nuzzled her under his chin, and then he said in clear inu youkai language.

: Beta Female: then purred to relax and sooth her.

Kagome hearing her status in the pack was very happy. She relaxed and then reaffirmed his standing in the pack.

: Leader Male:

Once this was done the pack was whole again. Kagome was now free to walk over to her mate. She leaned down and nuzzled him under his chin and said, "Mate."

Inuyasha smelled his mate's scent. It sent a claming feeling throughout his body as he started to purr at having her near him. He continued to purr and when he stopped they had both returned to normal.

Kagome opened her eyes and looked at her mate, he was still asleep. She looked at his wounds and even though they were healing it looked swollen and red.

Kagome helped with his healing as she poured some of her healing powers into him so he could heal faster. She knew he was healing himself but she just helped him a little. When she was done she looked at her mate and noticed that he was resting easier.

Kagome looked at Inuyasha's father and said, "My Lord, could you please stay with him for a few minutes. I want to go and check on Mike. He came to my aid when Sunni came after me. I wanted to thank him for doing that."

Inutaisho knew what she wanted to do but he wasn't willingly to let her go off on her own through the castle. "Kagome you know that as soon as you leave Inuyasha side he will start to wake up. He will turn full youkai again and go looking for you."

"No he won't wake up. I put a sleeping spell on him and he will sleep until I release him from it." Kagome said without concern as she started to make her way to the door.

"Kagome, if what you are saying is true then we can leave him here to rest and I'll go with you down to the healers section of the castle. I don't want you walking around by yourself. At one point I could trust my guards to protect you, now I don't trust anyone." He said as he watched her with interest.

He saw the rage, frustration, and defeat as she gave into his request.

Inutaisho smiled at winning the argument. He followed her out of the room as they left Inuyasha to rest. Kagome placed a seal on the door that wouldn't allow anyone into the room while they were gone.

They continued to walk down to the healer's section of the castle as they found out where Mike was located. They entered his room and saw him lying in bed looking pale and weak. Kagome walked over to him, as she grew concerned over his health.

Mike opened his eyes to see her standing in front of him and tried to get up. Kagome placed her hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him back down to rest as she said, "Don't try to move. You need to rest. I came to offer you my thanks for coming to protect my pup and me. You got hurt because of me and I'm truly sorry."

Mike smiled weakly at her and said, "Don't worry Princess, I have been sick my entire life and this time is no different. I was glad that I could help to protect you and your pup. I didn't want anything to happen to you." Mike closed his eyes and fell asleep as Kagome continued to watch him.

Kagome looked at his body and started to concentrate. She could see the virus infecting his body. It had almost taken over and he was about to die. She looked at Inutaisho and asked, "What kind of disease does he have that is making him this ill?"

Inutaisho looked at her and said, "The healers here haven't been able to determine what kind of disease it is. They have been trying for a long time to cure it but they've had no luck. They have tried everything possible to save his life."

Kagome looked back to Mike and then came to a decision. She called forth the power that she had deep within her as her whole body started to glow blue.

Inutaisho looked on in awe when he saw the power that the girl was releasing. He aura grew ten fold as the light that was surrounding her body grew in its intensity.

Kagome looked down and saw the disease that he had in his body. She placed her hands on his chest as she poured the healing power she had gathered into his chest. She pulled away from him and his body continued to glow. Kagome closed her eyes and started to concentrate on what she was doing.

She gathered all of the disease and put it all in one place as she started to get rid of it from his body. She continued until it was all gone. She released him from her healing aura and she wavered.

Inutaisho was at her side in an instant as he steadied her.

Kagome smiled up at him and waited for Mike to wake up. He slowly opened his eyes again and focused on the Princess. He said, "thank you," and feel asleep again as he rested from his ordeal.

Inutaisho being curious asked, "Kagome, what did you do?"

Kagome looked up at him and said, "I got rid of the disease from his body. When he wakes up tomorrow he will be 100 cured and he can do anything he likes. It's the least I could do for him. He risked his life to protect me and I wanted to return the favor."

Inutaisho was amazed at the girl. She had a pure heart and she cared for everyone. 'No wonder my son fell in love with her. She will be a compassionate ruler and will teach my son to be one too.'

They were about to walk out of the room when Kagome went limp in his arms and he picked her up. He looked at her with concern as he asked, "Kagome are you all right?"

Kagome smiled at his concern and said, "Yes, I'm fine. I'm just tired that's all. I guess I over did it today, I should go back and get some rest."

Inutaisho agreed with her as he carried her back to her room. When he got there he laid her down on the bed. Kagome scooted over to her mate and kissed him, he started to stir from his sleep as he opened his eyes and looked at his mate. He reached for her and they both laid down and went back to sleep.

He left their room a while later, once he was sure that they were asleep and in need of nothing. He walked out as he placed his seal on the door to make sure no one would enter the room as he made his way toward his chambers. The day had been a long one but much was accomplished today.

His son and mate were safe. He now knew about the stoned that Kagome was wearing. The final traitor in their mist was finally taken down. No more secrets were to be relayed to that human bastard.

Yes it had been a good day all the way around.

oOo

The next few days passed without incident. They haven't heard from Shawn but they knew that he probably couldn't relay any more messages to them on what was going on.

Kagome concentrated on Inuyasha's mahoutsukai powers. She wanted him to get stronger and learn how to control it better. She was very proud of her hanyou he was learning fast to master his new powers.

Of course he had a big incentive if he did well that day Kagome knew how to reward her hanyou, that is if he did what he was suppose to do. On a few occasion his temper would get the better of him and she would have to get tough with him. So he was always trying to please her in mastering his new skills.

They both grew in power as Kagome kept teaching Inuyasha how to control his mahoutsukai powers. They learned how to create barriers together and when they fought they would combine their powers for a more powerful destructive force. They even learned how to communicate with each other by just using their minds.

The biggest surprise was that Kagome didn't slow down in the least bit. Her pup was growing strong and you could now see that she was with pup. She could still move freely around and carrying the pup didn't slow her down.

She was supposed to start sleeping more because the pup would've pulled away at her energy. But if anything she had more energy than the two men in her life. She could take them both on and almost beat them.

On this morning they were both walking down to breakfast before going out to the training field. It had become a normal thing for the pair to get up early, much to everyone's surprise at seeing Inuyasha up before midday.

As they approached the kitchen they both stopped outside the door. Something didn't feel right but they couldn't determine what was wrong. 'Kagome, do you sense that?' thought Inuyasha at his mate.

'Yes, I feel it too, we have to be careful whatever it is no one seems to be alarmed about it.' Thought Kagome to her mate. They both agreed to be on guard as they made their way into the kitchen.

When they entered the kitchen they were surprised to see a very energetic Sango and an exhausted Miroku.

'Inuyasha, I have a feeling that this is not Sango or Miroku. She looks like my friend but I have never known her to act this way. They have a concealment spell and it's a strong one. I haven't been able to break it.' She thought as she eyed the pair in front of her.

Inuyasha had to agree with his mate. Miroku was not acting normal for Miroku.

Kagome had told him that they were going to practice with them but they haven't been seen since Sunni attacked Kagome.

They continued to walk as Inuyasha said, "Hey Miroku, where have you been? You said that you were going to do some training with us but you never showed up."

Miroku eyed the half-breed in front of him. He hated him with every ounce of fiber in his body. They traveled here from the Eastern Lands to get them. The two in front of him were the cause of all their problems.

They had come up with this plan to impersonate their friends while they were somewhat engaged in their mating. They knew that the female was in heat and they were still up in their quarters so they were free to attack the two in front of them. But they had to get them away from the castle first it was to well protected.

He smiled as he said, "Well we were called away on business and we couldn't come and tell you that we weren't going to make it to the training. Now we're back and ready to train."

Kagome and Inuyasha eyed the imposter in front of them, as Kagome thought, 'Inuyasha these are not our friends. They're youkai and I think they are after us. We can't risk fighting in the castle. Too many will get hurt if we get into a fight in here. We have to move outside and then we can take them down.'

'I agree, but I want you to be careful. I don't want you to get hurt or the pup. We don't know what kind of power these two hold so be on your guard.' Thought Inuyasha as they sat down to have their breakfast.

When they were done they all got up and left to go to the training field. Kagome and Inuyasha were leading the way as the fake Miroku and Sango followed closely behind them. They were walking through the forest when Miroku and Sango stopped.

They were not protected in the forest as they attacked Kagome and Inuyasha.

Kagome feeling the impending danger quickly told her mate to "JUMP!" They both leaped into the air as they landed just slightly apart from each other and faced their enemy.

Inuyasha drew his sword as he said, "Now who in the hell are you? You're not our friends." As he growled his anger at being attacked from behind.

The fake Miroku just laughed and said, "We were sent to take care of you. You see not all of us youkai want the two kingdoms to be merged. We've had enough of the weak ruling lords and we plan to take over both the Western and the Eastern Lands. Peace will not be an option once we get done with you two."

Kagome and Inuyasha got into a fighting stance as they faced off with their enemy. The fake Miroku went after Inuyasha as the fake Sango went after Kagome and the fight was on.

Kagome and the fake Sango faced off as Kagome said, "I will make you pay for taking the form of my best friend."

The fake Sango just smiled as she attacked with her sword. Kagome met every hit and blocked as she was preventing Sango from hurting her. She was no match for Kagome as she grew in power and started to push the fake Sango back.

Kagome's swings held power behind them and she wasn't even using half of her abilities. Kagome continued to attack the fake Sango as she pushed her back.

The fake Sango seeing that the princess was no wimp with a sword increased her power level as she began to attack her. The battle was becoming intense as they fought.

Kagome knew that this fake Sango would never defeat her and it was about time that she really saw what her opponent looked like.

Kagome sent a powerful miko blast to the necklace around the demons neck as she broke it. The concealment spell was broken as the demons true form was revealed. She was a tiger youkai as she stepped back to look at herself.

The female tiger had hoped to kill her and blame her friend for her death but it seemed that this princess was full of surprises. It made no sense to hold back now that her true form was revealed as she attacked with claws extended.

Kagome seeing the danger became enraged as she transformed into her youkai form. She quickly dodged the attacked as she came after her. They continued to battle as the fight was escalading with the males.

oOo

Inuyasha and the fake Miroku faced off as they slowly started going around in a circle. They were eyeing each other as they looked for an opening.

Miroku attacked and Inuyasha meet it head on. This Miroku was weak and was no match for Inuyasha as they continued to fight. The fake Miroku had no spiritual powers like the real Miroku so he was using a sword to fight against Inuyasha.

Inuyasha continued to meet all of his hits as he made an attack of his own. He attacked as he hit the fake Miroku in the chest and sent him flying through the air were he landed about 20 feet away from his opponent.

At that moment the necklace around his neck broke, as his true form was revealed. The tiger youkai looked at his mate and saw that the concealment spell had been broken. Now their plan was out the window as they attacked with their own powers.

Inuyasha smiled when he saw that the concealment spell was now broken. He knew that his mate was the one that broke the spell and now the fight was about to get interesting. It was now a fight of demon against demon as they attacked each other.

The male tiger released a powerful blast that caught Inuyasha in the chest and sent him flying through the air as he hit a tree. He saw the male tiger go after his mate and he became enraged.

He transformed into his full youkai form and went after the offending male.

oOo

Inutaisho was coming down from his room to go and get something to eat before he met his son and mate at the training field. He was looking forward to the workout and he knew that the training was going to be good. His son and mate had almost reached their full potential and this pleased him. He knew that if they were ever attacked they would be able to defend themselves against the threat.

As he was walking he sensed danger near by. He stopped as he sniffed the air trying to find out where it was coming from. He picked up the scent of youkai near by as he heard a blast coming from the forest.

Fear started to settle in the pit of his stomach as he ran out of the castle and headed toward the training field. He met up with his guards as they were trying to break through the barrier to go and help his son and mate.

The barrier was strong as his rage took over; he broke through the barrier and rushed toward his son. He knew that they were being attacked as he headed towards them, with his guards following closely behind him.

When they got to the field, were the battle was being fought, what he saw shocked him.

oOo

Kagome and Inuyasha were now in their demon forms as they attacked the tiger youkai's. They leaped into the air and cried in unison, "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer." As the blades shot out of there claws and went toward the tiger youkai's.

They tried to get out of the way but there were so many blades that they couldn't dodge them all. They fell to the ground in pain as Inuyasha towered over them and said, "Now tell me who sent you."

The only thing he got was a growl out of both of them as they made to attack his mate. This was the wrong thing to do as Inuyasha blocked their approach. He extended a barrier around them that effectively sealed them in.

Kagome walked over to her mate and said, "What should we do with them?"

Inuyasha looked at his mate and said, "I think we should let dad deal with them. I think he might feel left out if we finish them off ourselves. Plus he has ways of getting information out of them." He smiled as he stared at the two youkai in front of him.

Inutaisho came out of the forest he had seen everything that happened in the clearing. His son had grown in power again he had never seen him this strong before. His barrier was one of the strongest he had ever seen in his life.

"I'm glad to see that you are both all right." He smiled as he looked at his son and mate proud at seeing them so strong and being able to protect each other. He had no doubt that if they came after his son that he would be able to protect his mate and pup.

He turned to the two demons in the barrier and said, "Now, who are you and why were you attacking my son?"

The two tiger youkai looked at the enraged Tai youkai in front of them and they knew that he was the Lord of the Western Lands. No other youkai could hold such power. They knew that they were in big trouble.

Inutaisho signaled for his guards to surround them as the barrier was let down to allow the guard to take them. But the tiger youkai had other plans. They would rather die than be taken prisoner as they leaped into the air and went after Kagome.

Inuyasha saw what they were about to do and raised his hand into the sky and let a blast of his mahoutsukai powers hit the offending demons. It purified them while they were in the air and they disappeared never to be seen again.

Kagome walked up to her mate as she rested her head on his shoulder and said, "Mate."

Inuyasha lowered his hands and wrapped them around his mate as he held her close and they both calmed down from their ordeal. When they turn toward his father they were both back to normal.

They all turned and went back into the castle tired from the fight they had with the tiger youkai. They needed to get their strength back because the fight for the Western Lands was rapidly approaching and they had to defend it. But what was more pressing was that they had to defend the Eastern Lands as well. This was going to take a great deal of energy and they had to be ready for it.

They only hoped that together they would be able to defeat the evil that was coming and that they would have enough energy to go to the Eastern Lands to help protect it.

oOo

Well the end to another chapter. As you can see the attacks are becoming more frequent.

The battle for the Western and Eastern Land is rapidly approaching. Kagome and Inuyasha are going to have to fight in these battles. But more problems present themselves as the day for the battle draws near.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Naraku was keeping Shawn close to him in the final days before the all out attack on the demon kingdoms. He didn't want any information to be leaked out that there was an attack pending.

He knew that someone, from within his organization, was leaking information to the demons. His spies had warned him to be on guard that they might be expecting him. He couldn't get in contact with Sunni and this worried him. He was his last spy in the demon lord's castle and he was getting his most valuable information from him.

But at the moment he had everything ready and the attack was set. They will begin their attack on both kingdoms in three days time. The advance party that was heading toward the east should be there by then.

He had sent them on ahead to get there in time to start the battle against the Eastern Lands at the same time they attacked the Western Lands. Timing was everything to him and he had to make sure that it was started at the same time or their plan would fail.

He was going with the army that was heading for the Western Lands. He wanted to see first hand when they took down the demon lord and his son. He wanted his revenge for what they had done to his Kusco.

Yes she was his. She never wanted him but he loved her. He would've done anything for her but she always went after the damn demons. She never had any desires for him and always thought of him as weak. But he will show her just how weak he really was when he takes the head of the half demon bastard that killed her. He will have his revenge.

Shawn was getting nervous as the final preparations were being made to attack the Western and Eastern Lands. His friend had come back and told him of the plan that his lord had set into motion. He also told him that once the battle started that he was to leave and return to the lord's side. His duty finally completed.

Shawn was happy about this but he still had this nagging feeling that something was going to happen and he didn't know what.

Naraku was keeping something from him and he had been unable to drag that piece of information out of him. He stayed by his side as the final preparations were made to attack the two kingdoms. He hoped with all his heart that everyone would come out of this alive in the end.

oOo

Kagome was sitting in the garden relaxing after a good workout that morning. She was leaning against a tree just looking at the bright sunny day as she closed her eyes and relaxed.

Her mate was close by talking to his father. They never left her alone, not since the day she was attacked in the castle. Inuyasha and his father didn't trust the guards that guarded his castle and they didn't want to take the chance that they could hurt her.

They were both very protective of her and her pup. She felt a flutter as she put her hand on her stomach and felt the pup move. She smiled knowing that it was alive and well. She was glad that she didn't loose her pup during that one attack. But something didn't feel right to her. Something was missing and after all this was over with she would have to sit down with Inuyasha and talk to him about it.

She relaxed as she started thinking about Sesshomaru's mate. She had heard from Inuyasha that his half brother had mated but that they didn't know who she was. Kagome started to concentrate on Sesshomaru's mate as a picture started to form in her mind.

She saw a young girl maybe a year older than her. She was human and there was a demon that looked like Inuyasha's father but instead of having just one stripe on each of his cheeks he had two. He wore his hair lose like Inuyasha never tying it in a low ponytail like his father. His eyes held a coldness in them that she had never seen in her mate or his father's eyes.

She could see that whenever he turned to his mate and looked at her the coldness in his eyes seemed to melt away. That meant that he loved his mate dearly. He was teaching her how to fight to make sure that she could defend herself. The girl was really good, as she was holding her own against her mate. The girl swung her sword with power as she went after him.

The clashing of the swords could be heard echoing in the training hall as they sparred. She would attack viciously as her mate would block her attacks and then encourage her to try again.

On a few occasions she did manage to get a couple of good hits and Kagome smiled when she did. She saw a lot of herself in the girl when she first started training with her mate.

Kagome continued to watch like she was in a dream, she knew that they couldn't see her or so she thought. She saw Inuyasha's brother stop his attack on his mate, as he sniffed the air. They both turned in her direction and spotted her as the male took a fighting stance in front of his mate protecting her. He moved with speed as Kagome saw him coming towards her and screamed.

Kagome woke up with a start as she was breathing hard, almost out of breath. Inuyasha and his father were at her side in an instant as Inuyasha tried to calm his mate down. Kagome was shaking so bad that Inuyasha didn't have a choice. She wouldn't calm down no matter what he did so he started to purr.

She began to calm down as he held her close to him. He stopped when she was almost asleep and looked at his mate with concern in his eyes. "Kagome what happened to make you this upset?"

Through her half foggy mind she managed to say in a whisper, "Your brother almost attacked me." Then she fell asleep in his arms.

Inuyasha was confused as he looked to his father and asked, "What does she mean that my brother almost attacked her? He's not here."

Inutaisho had to think for a few minutes before he could come up with a possible answer. "Your mother used to be able to see if she concentrated long enough on someone. Her body would stay here but her spirit would teleport somewhere else and she would be able to watch what they were doing. On several occasions she gave me insight on how to defeat my enemies because of these abilities."

Inuyasha heard his father's words and then he said, "You mean to tell me that she actually saw my brother and he was able to see her and almost attacked her."

His father nodded his head yes, "She must have that gift and if she does she must learn to control it or they could kill her. She must've seen the danger she was in and quickly came back. That's why she was upset and wouldn't calm down."

Inuyasha looked at his mate, she was full of surprises and her abilities had grown tremendously since they have been together. He worried that his brother might attack his mate and that did not sit well with him, as he let out a low growl.

His father hearing this said, "Inuyasha, what's wrong? Why are you growling?"

Inuyasha turned to his father and said, "I will not be responsible for what happens if Sesshomaru attacks my mate. I don't care that he doesn't like me or that he doesn't recognize me as his brother. But I draw the line when it comes to my mate. He touches her, he's dead."

Inutaisho heard his son's words and sighed, he knew that when those two got together there was going to be a fight. He just hoped that he had enough energy to stop them.

Inuyasha got up bringing Kagome with him as they headed toward the castle. He wanted her to rest so he took her back to their room.

Two hours later Kagome started to stir from her slumber, she slowly opened her eyes to see where she was. When her eyes were finally focused she saw two golden ones looking at her with concern. She smiled weakly at him as Inuyasha moved closer to his mate.

Kagome started to remember what had happened outside and saw the look on her mates face. She could tell that he was upset and this worried her. She was wondering what she might've said before she passed out. She just hoped that she didn't say anything that she would have to explain. The next thing that came out of her mate's mouth told her that she had done just that.

"Kagome what did you see when my brother was trying to attack you." He asked with concern as he saw her wince at his question.

Kagome knew that she could never lie to her mate. He could always tell when she did. She sighed as she said; "I was wondering whom your brother was mated to that he would keep it a secret from his own father. I was thinking about it when I fell asleep and I saw her. They were practicing in the training hall, he was teaching her how to fight with a sword, and she was pretty good."

Inuyasha eyes grew big as he said, "You saw his mate?"

Kagome nodded her head, "Yes, I saw her. Your father will be surprised to see his son's mate. Like father like son."

Inuyasha was confused for a moment, and then it finally hit him as his eyes grew as big as saucers and he said, "He mated with a human!"

Kagome giggled, "Yes his mate is a human, her name is Jinx and she looks to be about a year older than me. She's about my height, shoulder length black hair with a hint of blue in it. Her eyes were the most amazing thing I have ever seen. They changed color with her emotions.

The reason your brother almost attacked me was because I caught him by surprise. He wasn't expecting anyone to be there with them. I didn't think they could see me but apparently they could. He thought that I was a threat and he was only protecting his mate.

The way a certain hanyou I know protects me viciously if anyone gets close to me." She eyed her mate with interest as he looked away from her

Inuyasha couldn't believe that his brother had mated with a human. He had put his father down because he had mated with his mother and had refused to accept him as his younger brother.

Kagome was thinking, she had to find a way to protect Sesshomaru's mate. If they got a hold of her then the Eastern Lands could fall. She formed a plan in her mind but she would need Inutaisho help if she was to pull it off, plus she needed something from him.

At that moment they heard a knock on their door as Inuyasha said, "Come in." Inuyasha's father opened the door and came in to check on Kagome. He wanted to know if everything was all right.

Inuyasha told him what Kagome had seen and he was surprised. He never expected his eldest son to have a human mate. It made him happy that he had finally got over his hatred for humans and accepted them. With him being mated to a human it complicated things. He didn't want the enemy to get a hold of her.

He was deep in thought when he heard Kagome say, "Inuyasha, could you go downstairs and tell Kaede to send me a piece of her wonderful pie, you know the one that I like to eat. I want some but I'm too tired to go down and get it."

Inuyasha didn't want to leave her side as she said, "Don't worry Inuyasha your father will stay with me until you come back. I'll be well protected with him here."

Inuyasha gave in to her request as he left the room to get her what she wanted. She had been craving the strangest things lately and he would do his best to get it for her.

Once Kagome knew that he was out of hearing range she sat up and looked at Inuyasha's father and said, "I have a favor to ask and I didn't want to ask you when Inuyasha was here."

Inutaisho raised an eyebrow at her as he went and sat in the chair next to their bed. "What kind of favor do you want?"

Kagome took a deep breath as she began her request. "I want you to give me a sword that would protect Jinx. She will need it incase they come after her so she can defend herself.

She's human and doesn't have any miko powers, so she is vulnerable to any attacks. I will give her a pendant that she could wear that will hold a concealment spell for her and hide her scent if she needs to get away from a bad situation. It will also protect her by placing a barrier around her if someone attacks."

Inutaisho heard her request and he had to admit that it was a good one. He could get the girl a sword that she could wield. He could have it made so that it could protect and attack at the same time, but how to get her these articles. "I can get you what you want but how are we going to get them to her in time. If I send some of my soldiers it will take them about a week to reach the Eastern Lands."

Kagome smiled as she closed her eyes and then she vanished. Inutaisho panicked when he saw her disappear, then he felt a gentle touch on his shoulder. He quickly turned to find Kagome standing right next to him.

"I can teleport to where she is and give her the sword and the pendant." Oh this didn't sit well with Inutaisho. He wasn't about to let her go to his son's kingdom when he almost attacked her before.

"Kagome, can you teleport more than just yourself?" He asked with interest.

Kagome furrowed her eyebrows together and asked, "I don't understand."

Inutaisho tried to explain. "I'm not about to let you teleport to Sesshomaru's kingdom without me. If he finds you there he will attack and kill you. He has already targeted you as an enemy."

Kagome had to suppress a sigh, 'Why is it that they all have to be so protective all the time. I can handle this on my own.' Then she started to think about her last meeting with his eldest son and she shivered, he did have a good point.

"Yes, I can teleport more than one person with me." She finally said.

Inutaisho smiled as he said, "It will take me a day to fashion a sword for the girl that would protect her. But we will need to subdue Inuyasha because I don't want those two to meet just yet. He's already upset that he tried to attack you."

Kagome thought for a moment and then she said, "I could put another sleeping spell on him and then we can go, but he's getting good at breaking my spells, we won't have much time."

"That will be enough, we don't have to be there for very long, just long enough to give her the things that will protect her. I will let you know when I have the sword ready." He said with a smile. Then he heard the sound of running feet as he said, "Inuyasha is coming back."

Kagome quickly got back into bed as she laid down and a few seconds later her mate came into the room with what she wanted.

Kagome smiled at her mate as he brought her the piece of pie she had requested, it was french silk chocolate, her favorite. His father said his goodbyes and left the two of them alone.

As he walked he summoned the blacksmith to his office. When he arrived Inutaisho had removed one of his fangs and he gave it to the blacksmith, he told him to fashion a sword with it. He told him what kind of power should be bestowed on the sword as the blacksmith took the fang and went to work. He had only one day to get it done.

He walked over by the window as he gazed out at the afternoon sun. He watched as the birds were playing in the near distance, and he was deep in thought, 'Kagome will never seize to amaze me. She cares for everyone even if they tried to kill her. Her heart is pure and I have no doubt that she could get us there and back with no problem.'

He stayed in his office as he tried to think of what he was going to say to his eldest son once they finally meet, after all these years.

oOo

Sesshomaru and Jinx were sparring with their swords when she saw her mate stop and turned to see a strange girl standing off to the side watching what they were doing. She was surprised to see her there because her mate's barriers protected this area and nothing could get through it.

She saw her mate get in front of her to protect her as he growled at the intruder. He leaped to attack as Jinx yelled, "Stop Sesshy!" But by the time he had reached were the girl was standing she had simply vanished.

Jinx walked slowly to her mate to try to calm him down. He was upset at losing his prey. "Sesshy? Do you know who she was?"

Sesshomaru shook his head, "No I don't know who she was, but she will not be so lucky the next time. I will kill her for coming here."

Jinx was shocked to hear her mate talking like this. She didn't do anything wrong. She was just standing there looking at them practicing. She didn't make any move to attack or to do them any harm. "Sesshy, you will not kill her do you understand."

Sesshomaru looked at his mate like she was crazy. "If she shows up here again she will die. I will not have her reporting back to that human bastard that you are here."

Jinx's anger was starting to peek as her eyes turned red. Sesshomaru knew that look and he was about to pay for his remark. "Sesshomaru, you touch her without first finding out why she was even here, and you will regret it."

Sesshomaru knew what she meant. Whenever she called him by his full name he knew he was in trouble with her. He had gotten her angry before and she left him high and dry for weeks. He couldn't take it, he had to resort to something he had never done in his entire life, he had to beg for her forgiveness before she would let him have her. He sighed as he said, "Alright, first I will find out what she wants then I will kill her."

He heard an angry growl come from his mate as he moved away from her. Then he corrected himself and said, "Alright I won't kill her."

Jinx smiled as she stepped up to her mate and laid her head against his shoulder. She nuzzled him under his chin and said, "Mate" with a purr.

Sesshomaru wrapped his arms around her small waist as he said, "Mate."

Everything was good between them as they got back to their practicing. But the whole time they were practicing Sesshomaru was thinking about that strange female that had appeared there in the training hall.

oOo

The next day Lord Inutaisho told Kagome that he had the sword ready. Kagome nodded her understanding and she told him that they could leave after lunch when she went to take her nap. Inuyasha always joined her and then she could place him in a sleeping spell.

He agreed and told her that he would be in his office when she was ready. When they were done practicing for the day they went and ate their lunch. Afterward they went to their room to get some much needed rest as Inuyasha joined his mate.

Once they had laid down to rest, she put the sleeping spell on her mate. She hated to do it but she didn't have a choice, she knew that he would attack his brother and that was something that they couldn't afford right now.

She slowly made her way out of the bed as she walked out the door without making any noise. She placed a seal on the door to make sure that no one could enter the room while she was away. She turned and made her way toward Inutaisho office.

When she got there she knocked on his door and she heard a gentle, "Come in." She walked in to find Inutaisho standing by the window looking out towards the east. She guessed that he was thinking about his other son.

Inutaisho turned towards Kagome as he asked, "Is Inuyasha all right?"

"Yes, I put the sleeping spell on him. But we don't have much time, he is already trying to break it as we speak." Said Kagome with concern.

He nodded his understanding as he grabbed the sword he had made for Jinx and went and stood by her side. Kagome concentrated and said, "Jinx is with Sesshomaru at the moment so be prepared for when we pop in on them. I really don't want to die today and I don't want to hurt him."

Inutaisho understood as he held Kagome around her waist and she started to concentrate again. In a blink of an eye she had teleported them to Sesshomaru's bedchambers. Kagome felt the arm around her waist tighten and she was quickly moved aside as a set of claws came towards them.

Inutaisho upon appearing in his son's bedchambers saw him attack immediately. He grabbed Kagome and moved her out of the way as he sidestepped his son's attack. He growled as he said, "Sesshomaru! Stand down or I will take you down!"

Sesshomaru finally got his senses back as he stopped his attack and looked up to see his father standing there with a strange girl. He recognized the wench as the one that was in the training hall yesterday. He growled as he said, "What's she doing here? Who is she?"

"SESSHOMARU!" They heard a girls voice screech in the room as the demons covered their ears to protect them. "What did I tell you about attacking her?"

Jinx was pissed that her mate, he had gone back on his word not to attack the girl if they saw her again. She was making her way towards him when she stopped and looked at her mate with red eyes. She was pissed to high heaven and he was about to bear the full weight of her anger.

Kagome stepped out from behind Inutaisho and said, "I'm sorry, I'm the cause of all the fighting. But we had to come here before the attack on your kingdom and this was the only way to get here quickly."

Jinx turned toward the girl and said, "I am sorry, but my mate can get a little bit hot headed at times."

Kagome giggled as she said, "He's no different than my mate or his father." She looked at Inutaisho who was staring at the girl with interest.

Sesshomaru came out of his numbness as he said, "Jinx, I would like to introduce you to my father, Lord Inutaisho, Lord of the Western Lands."

Inutaisho inclined his head toward the girl as he turned to his eldest son and said with a growl. "I have come here to give your mate something that will protect her incase she gets attack. I was hurt that you wouldn't even tell your own father that you have mated. Do you hate me so much that you would keep your mating a secret from me?"

Sesshomaru bowed his head in shame. He didn't hate his father. He fully understood why he had mated with that human so long ago.

Inutaisho turned towards Jinx and said, "Jinx, I have a gift for you. This sword will protect you incase you are attacked. It has the power to defeat your enemy, all you have to do is call upon it."

He handed the sword to her as she took it. Jinx was honored that her mate's father cared enough for her to give her something to protect her. She looked down and saw the most amazing sword she had ever seen. It held power in it as she pulled the sword from its sheath, and it grew into a large fang. The sword was big but it felt light as a feather in her hand. She didn't have any problems wielding the sword as she moved it from side to side.

Her eyes about fell out of her head when she saw the power that radiated from it and she said with gratitude, "Thank you, my Lord! It's very beautiful."

Kagome had been watching with interest as she stepped forward and said, "Hello, my name is Kagome."

Jinx eyes went wide as she said, "Your Princess Kagome!"

Kagome giggled and said, "Yes I am, I also have a gift for you. This pendant will protect you, it will put up a strong barrier that will prevent anything from reaching you."

She handed the pendant to the girl as she leaned forward and said in her ear, "The pendant also holds a concealment spell that will change what you look like and your scent. It will make you look like a demon to allow you to leave without anyone noticing. All you have to say is 'demon form' to transform into a demon and 'human form' to transform back."

Jinx giggled as she took the pendant from the princess and said her thanks.

Sesshomaru was listening the whole time and when the wench said that she was the princess he realized his error. He stepped forward as he heard a growl come from his father to keep away from Kagome. He continued to walk towards Kagome and he stopped, when the growls became threatening, in front of her and said, "I'm sorry Princess. I meant no disrespect. I didn't know you were Princess Kagome."

Kagome smiled and said, "Like I said before, you're no different from your brother he is very protective of me. He is more protective of me now that I'm having his pup."

Sesshomaru's eyes went wide at her statement. If he had attacked and killed her he would've killed the pup too.

Kagome turned to Inutaisho and said, "We have to go. Inuyasha is about to break the spell I put on him and if he finds me gone he will tear the castle apart looking for me."

Inutaisho agreed as Kagome came to stand by his side. He looked at his son and said, "When I have defeated the threat in my kingdom I will come here to help you fight the enemy."

Inutaisho nodded toward Kagome as she started to concentrate and they both disappeared from sight.

Jinx walked over to her mate and said, "When all of this is over Sesshomaru, you have some explaining to do to your father. You hurt him deeply by not telling him the truth about me and you hurt me because it means that you're ashamed of me." She turned and walked away from him leaving him to his thoughts.

How did he get himself into this mess? His father was mad at him for not telling him that he had mated and now his mate was mad at him for not telling his father about her. 'She thinks that I'm ashamed of her but I'm not. I love her and I would do anything to protect her.'

He went after his mate to see if she could ever forgive him for what he did. When he reached her she was in the training hall practicing with her new sword. He approached with care because the sword possessed great power. His father must've had the sword made from one of his fangs for it to have such power.

"Jinx, can you ever forgive me for not telling my father about you?" He asked with concern in his voice. His mate wouldn't turn around to face him or answer his question.

Jinx was pissed that he never told his father that he had mated with her. It hurt her deeply that he thought of her as unworthy or weak. She finally turned toward her mate as she had a gleam in her eye.

She walked over to him as she started to purr and started to lick his neck. She knew that this would drive him crazy with desire and she was about to teach her mate a lesson.

Sesshomaru's eyes went wide as his mate started to lick his neck. It sent a wave of desire through his body as he pulled her closer to him. He started to smell her arousal as he started to lick her neck in response.

Jinx was enjoying the attention he was giving her neck. She loved it when he did that to her as it sent her blood boiling. She remembered what he had done to her as she allowed him to continue with his actions. When she felt that she had her mate aroused enough she pulled away from his embrace, as she started to walk away to practice with her sword.

Sesshomaru couldn't believe that his mate had walked away from him like that. He wanted her and she had gotten his blood going. He tried to reach her as she quickly turned around and brought the sword in front of her to stop his approach.

Sesshomaru's eyes went wide as his mate stopped him from approaching. "Jinx, what are you doing? I thought that you forgave me for not telling my father about you."

Jinx eyes turned red with anger as she said, "I don't forgive you for what you have done. You hurt me in the worst way possible. Your father comes all this way to give me a sword to protect me and he didn't even know that I was your mate.

If it hadn't been for the princess he still wouldn't know that you were mated. Are you that ashamed of me that you couldn't tell your own father the truth! That you mated with a human! Your brother doesn't have a problem mating with a human."

Jinx saw her mate withered from her verbal assault. He backed away from her not knowing what to do. She was pissed and there was no way that she was going to forgive him at the moment. She had left him with desire as a form of punishment. He turned and left the training hall. He needed to let her cool down before he could talk to her again.

oOo

Kagome and Inutaisho arrived back in his office as he let go of Kagome. He looked at her with concern as she looked tired and worn. "Kagome, why don't you go back and lay down for a while you need your rest."

Kagome nodded her head that she understood then she felt when her mate broke her spell. She turned white as a ghost as she quickly concentrated and teleported to their bathroom before her mate fully woke up from his sleep.

She made believe that she was using the facilities when she walked out to see a very pissed off hanyou standing right in front of her. He growled as he said, "Why did you put a sleeping spell on me?"

Kagome smiled as she said, "I wanted to see if you could break it. It's the strongest one that I can cast and if you could break my spell then I know that I have taught you well."

She started to walk back to the bed when she went weak in the knees and was about to hit the ground. Inuyasha caught her and picked her up in his arms. He took her back to the bed where he laid her down.

He was concerned. He didn't know what was wrong that would cause her to go weak like this. She has never shown any of the signs that the pup was taking away her energy, but now she was, and this concerned him.

Kagome fell asleep and this pleased him, he knew that she was resting. He caught a new scent on her that he had never smelled before. It smelled of mandarin and it was sweet and pleasing to his nose. He started to growl, as he finally understood what had happen.

Kagome had placed that sleeping spell on him so she could go somewhere without him and he didn't like it in the least bit. He got up as he left their bedchambers and went towards his father's office.

When he reached his father's office he knocked on the door and he heard a gentle, "Enter."

He opened the door to find his father sitting behind his desk, as he was deep in thought. He walked over to him and said, "I want to know where you and Kagome went today that you had to put me under a sleeping spell."

Inutaisho looked up at his son and saw the anger in his eyes. He knew that he and Kagome had gone somewhere today and he was pissed. When he didn't see Kagome with him as he asked, "Where's Kagome? Has something happened to her?"

Inuyasha took a deep breath and said, "She was coming out of the bathroom and almost fell. I had to carry her back to the bed and lay her down. She fell asleep exhausted. I caught the scent of mandarin on her and I knew that she had lied to me. You both know that I hate it when she breaks her word to me so why did you leave the castle?"

Inutaisho sighed as he said, "Inuyasha please sit down, we need to talk."

Inuyasha moved to the chair in front of his father's desk and sat down as he heard his father start to speak. "Inuyasha don't be mad at Kagome for wanting to do something that was in her heart. She wanted to go and see Jinx to give her a necklace that would help protect her if she is attacked.

Kagome, like you, doesn't want to see the Eastern Lands fall into the hands of that human that has been after you all these months. She has a pure heart and she has the best intension.

I wouldn't let her go by herself which is why she is exhausted. But we couldn't let you come along and start a fight with your brother, for what she had said earlier. She knew that you would attack him because he was trying to hurt her."

He was staring at his son as he saw all of his emotions running through his features, the rage, anger, hurt, and defeat. He saw his son look up from his lap and said, "I would've been mad but I could have understood if she told me the truth about where she was going. You know that I don't want to let her out of my sight. But I can never deny her anything either. I'm hurt that you both don't trust me enough to make my own decisions."

"I'm sorry that we didn't trust you but under the circumstances we couldn't take the chance. If it's any consolation we weren't gone for that long, maybe 15 minutes max." He looked at his son with a smile as he continued, "and you might want to know that Sesshomaru might be, at this very moment, in the dog house with his mate. He never told her that he hadn't spoken to me about his mating. If you think Kagome's temper is bad then you should see his mates temper. She puts Kagome's to shame."

Inuyasha had to chuckle at his fathers comment. Knowing that his brother was in trouble with his mate made up for him not going along with them. He stood as he said, "I'm going back to Kagome. I want to make sure that she and the pup are all right." He turned and walked out of his father's office feeling a little better and not as mad at his mate for wanting to help his brother's mate.

He knew that she had a big heart and that it was pure. That's why he fell in love with her in the first place. She cared for everyone and that's something he had to learn to live with.

He walked back into their room and saw his mate still sleeping on the bed. He went over to her and laid down beside her as he pulled her into his embrace. He sighed, he was glad that she was safe and that nothing had happened to her as he fell asleep with his mate in his arms.

oOo

King Higurashi was in his office making plans to send his soldiers to the Eastern and Western lands. Lord Inutaisho had been keeping him informed about what was happening in the west. He had informed him of the impending attacks on both the demon kingdoms. He was making plans of his own when he heard a knock on his door and he said, "Come in."

He had informed all of his men that the enemy was tapping into the security cameras. They were all instructed to keep matters of the Eastern and Western lands a secret whenever they spoke in his study.

He saw one of his commanders walking in and said, "My Lord, we have received word that the Northern armies are amassing on our boarders and they are getting ready to attack our kingdom." This news surprised him. He didn't expect the Northern Lands to join in the fight.

He nodded his head in understanding as he said, "Get our army ready, we are to move to the northern boarders to defend our land. If they want a fight then we will give it to them."

His commander bowed as he left his office to do his bidding. King Higurashi stayed behind deep in thought. 'So Naraku wants the Southern Lands too. Well he's in for the fight of his life if he thinks he can take the Eastern, Western, and Southern Lands. This will be the fight that will decide the fate of all of the slaves. It's a fight that we must win in order to live in peace.'

King Higurashi stood as he left his office to join his men. He saw his army moving as they headed towards the north to do battle. He sent word to Lord Inutaisho of the impending attack from the north and that he would do his best to win the fight. He only asked that he protect his daughter and his family from getting hurt if anything ever happened to him.

oOo

Kagome was having a dream, a dream that told her the possible outcome to the battle that was coming. She saw the Western Lands winning their fight against the army that was sent to defeat them.

Once they had won the battle in the Western Lands they all left to fight in the Eastern Lands. The battle there was a bloody one, they finally defeated the enemy but it had taken everything that she and Inuyasha had to defeat them.

She saw another battle taking place and this one she didn't know about. She saw her father's army moving towards the north to do battle. It was a bloody battle as they fought against incredible odds. She saw her father's army loosing the battle as they came after him. She saw him go down as she yelled, "DADDY!"

Kagome was struggling in Inuyasha's arms as she tried to get away from her mate. She was screaming for her father as Inuyasha tried to prevent her from hurting herself. She continued to fight as she let go a blast of her miko powers that threw Inuyasha against the wall as she finally got out of his embrace.

Inutaisho upon hearing Kagome's scream ran out of his office heading towards his son's room. When he arrived he entered the room to see Kagome attacking his son. She was out of control as she tried to leave to reach her father before something happened to him.

Inutaisho prevented her from leaving the room as he blocked her escape. She was weak from the attack on her mate and she still had not fully recovered from her ordeal of teleporting.

Kagome stopped as she saw Inuyasha's father standing right in front of her, blocking her way out of the room. "Get out of my way! I have to go and find my father before he gets killed."

Inutaisho knew that there would be no reasoning with her as he rushed forward and he caught her off guard. He squeezed the back of her neck and she fell unconscious in his arms.

He quickly put her down on the bed as he went to check on his son, to see if he was all right. He was unconscious on the floor as he picked him up and laid him on the bed next to his mate.

A few minutes later Inuyasha started to stir as he started to remember what had happened. He quickly sat up looking for his mate and he saw her sleeping next to him. He breathed a sigh of relief to see her there when he caught the scent of his father sitting next to him.

Inutaisho looked at his son with concern. He didn't know what had happened to make Kagome this upset about wanting to leave. "Inuyasha what happened? What was Kagome saying about her father?"

Inuyasha turned to his father and said, "I don't know, she woke up screaming her head off, saying that she had to reach her father before he got killed. I tried to calm her down so I could learn what she was talking about but she lost it. She blasted me with her miko powers as she finally got away from me and that's the last thing I remember."

"Inuyasha, Kagome might've seen what is to happen in the future and that's what upset her. If what she is saying is true then the northern lands have stepped into the fight. Her father might've gone to take care of the threat knowing that we're about to be attacked, and he didn't want to ask for help.

I will have to send a company of my soldiers to see if they could help him in this fight. We can't let Kagome leave, if she does she might get hurt." Inutaisho grew more concerned as the time passed.

He knew that he would be spreading his forces thin but he had no choice. He needed to keep Kagome safe and she wasn't about to stay under his protection if her father was in danger.

Inuyasha agreed with his father as he turned to see if his mate was all right. She seemed to be resting for the moment but he didn't know for how long. He knew that when she woke up she would be upset and will want to leave to go to her father.

He just hoped that he could stop her the next time. He didn't want to hurt her but he was determined to protect her and his pup. If he had to subdue her in order to do this then he would.

Inutaisho left his sons room and headed toward his office. He needed to get things prepared if he was sending a company of his soldiers to help the king.

He entered his office and started going through all of his papers for his battle plan. He was looking for the best place to remove a company of his soldiers from the battle and then replace them with what he had left. He found a place and was making adjustments to his plan when he heard a hurried knock on his door as he looked up from his work and said, "Come in."

A young Inu Youkai entered his office in a hurry. He had seen this youkai before. He had been King Higurashi's runner before and had brought him countless communications from Kagome's father. He was out of breath as he gave him a letter from his master.

Inutaisho took the letter and quickly opened it to see what was going on. As he read the letter he discovered that Kagome had been correct in her premonitions about her father. He has gone north to fight the northern army amassing at his boarders. He was asking him to keep his daughter safe and that if anything was to happen to him to please protect his family.

He looked up from the letter and asked, "Has the King left any soldiers behind to guard his family?"

The young Inu Youkai finally caught his breath as he said, "Yes my Lord, he as left two companies of his soldiers and all of the slaves from the house. Our mistress will be well protected. We will not let anyone do her harm. This we have sworn to our master."

Inutaisho was happy to hear this. "Tell the human commander that is left in the rear that I'm sending a company of my best soldiers to help the king in his battle. That when we're done here we will leave to help the southern armies defeat the north."

The Inu Youkai was happy to hear this as he bowed and left his office to go home.

Inutaisho returned to what he was doing as he called his commander into his office to plan for the shift in forces. He still didn't want Inuyasha or Kagome to fight in this battle if he could help it. They had to be protected at all cost.

oOo

Kagome started to stir after about two hours of her being asleep. Inuyasha was sitting by her side as he watched her. He was concerned for her safety but he was determined that she will listen to what he had to say.

His father had come back and told him that Kagome had been right in her vision. He had received word that her father had left to go fight the northern army and that he requested that he keep Kagome safe and protect his family if anything ever happened to him. He knew that his mate would want to leave to go after her father but they had to stay and meet the threat to the Western Lands first.

Kagome slowly opened her eyes to see that her mate was sitting right next to her. She started to remember everything that happened from before as she quickly sat up. She found herself being pushed back down to the bed with force as Inuyasha pinned her there preventing her from leaving.

Kagome became angry as she said, "Inuyasha let me go! I have to find my father before something happens to him. He's in danger and I have to help him."

Inuyasha held her tight as he said, "No Kagome, I will not let you go. I want you to listen to what I have to say. I'm not about to let you leave here and get hurt because you want to go after your father."

Kagome was enraged as she said; "You can't stop me from going after my father! I don't want to see him get hurt any more than you want to see your father die. You have your father here and you know that he is safe but my father is heading into danger and he will die unless I help him"

Inuyasha lowered his ears to his head as he held on to his mate. He was hurt by her words. He had his father but she didn't and she wanted to go to him. He put his feeling aside for the moment as he looked at his mate and said, "No, I'm not letting you go. You are going to listen to what I have to say."

Kagome wasn't listening to her mate as her anger grew. She let go of another one of her miko blast but this time it had no affect on her mate. He was still holding her down, pinning her to the bed, with the look of determination in his eyes.

She stopped her struggling as she finally calmed down and looked at her mate. Tears were running out of her eyes as she said, "All right I will listen to what you have to say."

Inuyasha took a deep breath as he tried to explain to his stubborn mate, 'yes' he thought, 'she is more stubborn than me.'

"Kagome I'm not going to let you leave the safety of our kingdom to go after your father. He has requested that we keep you and your family safe. He has gone north to fight the threat of the Northern Kingdom but my father has sent some of our soldiers to help him. Try to think back to your dream. Did you see any demons fighting along side your father when he was defeated."

Kagome closed her eyes and started to concentrate on her dream. She saw her father's army but she didn't see any demons soldiers fighting along side him. She looked at her mate and she said, "I didn't see any demons soldiers fighting along side him when I saw him go down."

"So there is a possibility that the future has already been changed with my father sending some of our soldiers to help your father. Koishii I don't want you to get hurt or the pup. It will kill me if something was to happen to you.

Once we have defeated the threat here and in the Eastern Lands then we will head north to help your father, but you have to give us a chance." Said Inuyasha as he eyed his mate to see if he had her word that she wouldn't try to leave the Western Lands.

Kagome was fighting with her inner self as she opened her eyes and looked at her mate. She desperately wanted to believe that everything was going to work out and that her father would not get hurt during the battle.

She began to cry as she let her sorrow fill her heart. She was helpless to help her father and the only thing she could do was to help her mate protect the Western and Eastern Lands and then go off to fight to the north.

Inuyasha saw his mate crying as he picked her up in his arms. He held her tight in his embrace, as he was trying to offer her some words of comfort. "Don't worry Kagome, we will make sure that nothing happens to your father."

Kagome heard his words as she continued to cry and held onto her mate for comfort. She knew that he would try to keep his word to her and this thought made her feel better. She was gently being rocked to sleep as she heard her mate's purrs. She welcomed the sleep he was putting her in. With her emotional upset she was exhausted and she didn't think she could go to sleep on her own.

Inuyasha finally felt when Kagome fell asleep in his arms. He laid her down on the bed and saw for the first time the restful sleep she was in. There were still lines of tension on her beautiful face as she finally rested.

He breathed a sigh of relief as his whole body ached. He had with stood the attack of her miko powers, but if she had attacked him again he wouldn't have been able to resist the attack. He was lucky that she only blasted him once. He was exhausted as he laid down next to her and pulled her into his embrace. He finally fell asleep after their ordeal.

oOo

The next morning Kagome started to move as a pair of strong arms tightened around her body preventing her from leaving. She looked behind her to see her mate eyes with a worried look in them. She sighed and said, "Inuyasha, could you please let me go. I have to go to the bathroom. I promise not to leave and go after my father."

Inuyasha heard the defeated tone to her words and released her from his embrace.

Kagome sighed as she got up and went into the bathroom to get cleaned up. Inuyasha got up as well as he got dressed and waited for his mate to come out before he went in to get cleaned up.

When he came out of the bathroom he saw his mate standing by the window looking out over the horizon, she was depressed about not going after her father. He walked over to her and put his arms around her body and said, "Kagome, please don't be upset about not being able to go after your father. We will protect him to make sure that nothing happens to him.

I give you my word that as soon as we defeat the enemy here and in the Eastern Lands we will all go and fight in the north. We will win this battle and we will finally get to live in peace the way we always wanted to live."

Kagome heard his words and turned in his embrace as she hugged her mate in return. "I know that you will try to keep your word to me and I have already said that I won't leave here to go after my father. But I can't help but worry about him, until all this is over with." She looked at her mate as the tears were coming down her cheeks.

Inuyasha leaned down and licked her tears away as he said, "Maybe some training will help you get rid of some of your frustrations."

Kagome smiled at her mate and said, "You know that you will be the receiver of all of my frustrations."

Inuyasha smiled, "I know but afterwards I can make you feel a whole lot better." He gave her neck a long wet lick as he felt his mate shiver in his arms. Her arousal was peaked as she heard his words.

She knew that he would do anything to make her feel better and this pleased her, "You know that you will have to make it extra special."

He growled with pleasure as he said, "You know I will." And leaned in and kissed her passionately. They broke apart for lack of air as they were both panting. He grabbed her hand as he kissed it and then together they went downstairs to get some breakfast.

This time when they entered the kitchen they were greeted by the real Miroku and Sango and they looked starved. Kagome giggled as she saw her friend then she felt the mental touch from her mate as he said, 'Koishii, I know where they have been for the past three days.'

They continued to walk into the kitchen as she asked, 'alright where were they for the last three days?'

Inuyasha laughed in his head as he said, 'do you remember when we had our little bet and I won.' He heard her 'yes' as he continued. 'Well, do you remember that we spent three days in my room and all the fun we had during that time, that we never came out.'

Kagome looked at her mate and saw the smile that went across his face as she remembered what he had said about that time. 'You don't mean to tell me that Sango went into heat.'

Inuyasha smiled grew ten fold and she knew that what he was saying was true. Sango had gone into heat and now it was over.

They both sat down at the table as Kaede brought them their breakfast and they offered her their thanks. Kagome turned to Sango and said, "Sango, I thought you said you wanted to come to practice with us three days ago. I was waiting for you to show up but you never came to join us. Where were you?"

Kagome had the satisfaction of seeing her friend turn bright red as she said, "Umm, I'm sorry that we didn't make it to the practice but we were kind of detained." Said an embarrassed Sango.

"Don't worry Sango I'm sure that you will make up for it in training, because if you think I'm going to go easy on you then think again. I want to see how much you have been practicing." Kagome eyed her friend with interest as Sango turned bright red again.

They all finished their breakfast as they left the kitchen and headed toward the training field. Sango had her Hiraikotsu with her. The weapon was almost as big as she was but she handled it just fine as she easily lifted the weapon onto her back and continued to walk with Kagome toward the training field.

When the couples reached the training field they broke off as each pair went to opposite sides of the field and did there warm up exercises. Miroku and Sango watched as Kagome and Inuyasha went through their warm up exercises with their swords. They were moving with precession, as they seemed to move as one. They started to move faster as they both watched in awe.

Miroku and Sango looked at each other and then swallowed hard. They knew that they had made a big mistake in wanting to practice with them. It was obvious that they had been practicing with each other for a long time because their moment were fluid.

Once Kagome and Inuyasha were done with their warm up exercises, they looked toward their friend as Kagome said, "Are you two ready to practice?"

Miroku looked at his mate as she nodded her head to him. He looked at his friends and said, "Yes, we're ready, but remember that we are not experts like you two."

Kagome smiled as she moved off to the side and Sango followed her as Miroku and Inuyasha faced off.

Kagome put her hands behind her back as she told her friend, "Alright Sango, lets see what you've got. I want you to come at me and attack."

Sango's eyes grew wide as she heard her friend's statement. "Kagome, aren't you going to defend yourself? You know that I could hurt you with this thing if it hits you."

Kagome smiled and said, "Don't worry Sango you won't even touch me with that thing."

Sango was enraged by her friend's statement, as she got ready to attack. She had already told her friend to defend herself so she went after her with full force. She let her Hiraikotsu go as it spun towards her friend.

Kagome saw the weapon coming towards her as she quickly sidestepped her attack. The weapon continued to go past her as she eyed her friend with interest. She saw the smile on Sango's face and knew that something was wrong, the hair behind her neck started to stand up indicating that there was danger, as she moved quickly out of the way of the weapon coming back to its owner.

Kagome landed in a crouched position as she looked at her friend and smiled, 'so, she's serious about our fight. Then I must not disappoint her.'

Kagome moved with lighting speed as she went after her friend.

Sango seeing that Kagome was making her attack was ready to block. She held her weapon in front of her as she blocked Kagome's kick. Sango continued to block as Kagome came after her. Sango had to admit that her friend was strong but she finally got her second wind back and she started her own attack.

Kagome was caught off guard as Sango made her attack. She was dodging all of her kicks and weapon swings as she moved with speed. At one point Sango was about to smash her head open with her Hiraikotsu when Kagome put a barrier up and pushed her friend away from her as she slowly stood.

Sango landed on her butt as a strong barrier pushed her back, her mate had taught her what to do when this happened. She slowly got back up and pulled her katanas from her waistband, as she got ready for the fight. It was now time for her to use her twin swords in the fight to see how well Kagome will fair against her.

Kagome smiled as she saw the swords being drawn from their sheaths. She grabbed her sword as well as she unsheathed it and grew in size. She had the satisfaction of seeing her friend take a couple of steps back.

'Shit! I didn't know that Kagome's sword could do that! I know that she's strong but this is going to get hard. I don't know if I can defeat her.' Sango eyed her friend as she decided on what to do. She got the look of determination in her eyes as she went after her friend with her swords.

Kagome had to be quick. Sango was pretty good with her twin blades. She attacked without mercy as she blocked all of her friend's attacks with her sword. Kagome held her own against Sango never letting her push her back as she fought with her friend.

Kagome was not even using a 10th of her powers as she fought. She was getting a nice work out before she went after her mate. He was the real threat and he could be very vicious when he attacked. She continued to fight her friend as she kept pushing her to do better.

oOo

Miroku and Inuyasha were facing off as the girls moved off to the side. Inuyasha looked at his friend while he crossed his arms over his chest and said, "Are you sure that you're up for this. I know where you have been for the last three days and I know that you must be tired right about now. So we don't have to do this."

Miroku heard his friend's statement and he smirked as he said, "What's the matter Inuyasha? Are you afraid that I might beat you in this little training session."

Inuyasha smirked at his friend's statement as he said, "I was only trying to save you the embarrassment of getting your ass kicked, but if you really want the humiliation, then I'm gamed."

Miroku swallowed hard as he got ready to fight.

Inuyasha saw when his friend got ready for his attack. He went after him with his claws as his friend defended himself.

Miroku saw Inuyasha coming towards him. He smirked, as he sent his binding spell towards his friend to subdue him. He knew that he couldn't break out of his spell as he watched and the smirk fell from his face.

Inuyasha saw what his friend was going to do and raised his hand and stopped his spell from reaching him as he continued going towards his friend. He saw the smirk leave his face as his claws came down. His friend quickly jumped away from his attacked that hit the ground where he was standing not a few moments ago.

Inuyasha stood as he turned toward his friend and attacked again.

Miroku had to think fast as he brought up his staff and put up a barrier to stop his attack. They were both pushing each other back to see who was the stronger of the two.

Inuyasha easily won that battle as he pushed Miroku with such force that he landed about 10 feet away from where he was. Miroku stood as he looked at his friend and smiled.

Inuyasha knew that he had caught his friend by surprise at his new strength. They had not fought in a long time and he was much stronger than before. He wasn't even using any of his newfound powers as he looked at Miroku.

Miroku couldn't believe the amount of power that his friend had as he continued to catch his breath. He will have to step up his attacks if he even hoped to beat his friend. He saw the smile on his friends face as he started to make his move. It was about time that his friend learned that he was a lot stronger than he was letting on.

Inuyasha came at his friend again as he saw him getting ready for his attack. He felt his power level increased 10 fold as he dodged his friend's attack. A powerful beam of light came towards him as it barely missed him and he came to a stop.

A smile crept across Inuyasha face as he said, "Well I see that you are a lot stronger than you were letting on. Now lets see how strong you really are."

Miroku smiled as he attacked his friend again. His fire beam was the strongest attack he had and he was going to take him down with it. His eyes flashed red as he attacked his friend with his full power. He didn't see Inuyasha move away from his attack as it went towards him.

Inuyasha stood still as he saw his friend attack. He put up his hands as Miroku's attack hit him full force. He repelled his attack with little effort on his part as he sent the blast toward the sky.

Miroku eyes grew big as he saw his friend deflect his blast into the sky. He was a lot stronger than he was letting on. His powers had grown since the last time he had fought with his friend and he now knew that he couldn't beat him.

He was the most powerful hanyou he had ever meet and he now knew why he was mated to Kagome. It was their destiny that put them together and they were destined to free all of the youkai from their enslavement.

Miroku stopped his attack as he kneeled on one knee in front of his friend and said, "My Lord, you have won this battle. Your strength is great and I pledge my loyalty to you and your mate. You are the one destined to free this land from all the slavery and I will help you in your task."

Inuyasha couldn't believe what his friend was saying, "What are you talking about Miroku? We were just practicing. I thought that you wanted to get better so you could teach your mate how to protect herself. This wasn't a real fight."

Miroku remained on his knee as he said, "It may had started out as a practice session my lord but when I upped my power level it became a challenge. You met it full force and you repelled my attack like it was nothing. You are the stronger youkai here and I yield the fight to you."

Inuyasha didn't know what to think. This was only supposed to be a training session and it quickly grew into something much more as Miroku pledged his loyalty to him. "I accept your loyalty Miroku, you are my friend and we will always fight at each others side."

Miroku stood as he faced his friend. "You do me great honor by letting me fight along side you and your father."

They both heard a cry as they both turned to their mates. They saw Sango on the ground flat on her back with Kagome standing right beside her with her arms crossed over her chest expecting Sango to get up.

Inuyasha sighed as he said to his friend, "If you would excuse me Miroku, I will get my mate away from yours. She is in a pissed off mood this morning and she needs to let out her frustrations before she will feel better. You are both welcome to watch if you desire."

Miroku saw as Inuyasha pulled his sword from its sheath and went after his mate. He saw Kagome quickly pull her sword out as she met his attacked head on. They were fighting with such intensity that it took both Miroku and Sango by surprised.

They watched as they both sparred for about an hour before they both called it a draw.

Kagome was breathing hard as her mate came towards her. He picked her up in his arms and asked, "Did you get rid of all of your frustrations?"

Kagome smiled as she said, "Yes, it's all gone now." She laid her head on his shoulder as he brought her closer to him and then he whispered; "Now I will make it very special for you."

He had the satisfaction of seeing his mate blush as he rushed toward the castle with his mate in his arms as they left Miroku and Sango in the training field.

Sango looked up at her mate and said, "Did you know they were that powerful?"

Miroku looked at his mate, "No, I didn't know they were that powerful. Inuyasha's power has increased to a level that has not been seen in centuries. He has mahoutsukai powers as well, which makes him very powerful. Kagome must've shown him how to use it. He can stop anyone of my attacks without even trying."

Sango eyes grew big when he said that Inuyasha had mahoutsukai powers. She didn't think that a hanyou could have miko powers, but from what her mate was telling her he did. "I must've been crazy to ask to train with them. They're way too powerful for us to even get a hit in. I know that I didn't even get to touch Kagome. How about you, did you even hurt Inuyasha?"

A small chuckle escaped her mates lips as he said, "No Sango, not even my most powerful attack could even touch him. He is very strong. I think that he might be even stronger than his father. The fight ahead is going to be a long one, but I think that we will win this fight and save both the Western and Eastern Lands."

"Well, if we're going to fight in this battle then we better start getting a little bit more serious about our training. We are a long way from being ready to help defend this land." Said Sango as she got up on her feet.

Miroku grew concerned at her statement as he said, "Sango, you are not fighting in this battle. You're not strong enough to fight. You will get hurt and I'm not willing to let you do that."

Sango's eyes flashed in anger as she said, "I will fight in this battle and help you defeat this threat. I'm not about to sit around and wait while you are out there putting your life on the line to save this land. I don't think that I can bare the thought that I might lose my mate in this battle. I've already lost too much in my life and I'm not about to lose you in the process." Tears were now coming down Sango's cheek as she looked at her mate with hurt in her eyes.

Miroku seeing his mate was crying walked over to her as held her in his arms. He knew that she was scared about losing him but he still had to protect her.

He couldn't let her fight in this battle and he had to make her understand that. "Sango, I can't let you fight in this battle. I won't have you get hurt. If I see you in danger it might cause me to be distracted and then something might happen to me. If you stayed out of the fight then I would be able to concentrate on what I am doing and we can defeat this enemy."

Sango heard his words and she knew that he was right but deep down in her heart she knew something was going to happen to her mate and she wanted to be there to protect him. She gave into his request but she had other plans in her mind. When the time came she will fight in this battle and she will protect her mate even if it meant her own death.

oOo

This is the end to another chapter. Tensions are running high, as the battle is about to begin for the Western Lands. There are many challenges at await Kagome and Inuyasha and a face off with an old enemy. Who will win the fight for the Western Lands? Well you will find out in the next chapter.

Until the next time!

Ja ne


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29: The Battle for the Western Lands

Naraku was in his office. He was getting the last of the details ready before they moved out to attack the Western and Eastern Lands.

The Northern Lands had been very easy to convince to join their little party, he promised them all the slaves they could ever handle if they took care of the King of the Southern Lands. They agreed to his request and moved their forces to the southern boarders.

He knew that King Higurashi had left his kingdom to go meet the threat at their northern boarders. He had left his family behind with only two companies of soldiers and the demon slaves that were at his home. He knew that he could make short work of them once the battle was won. He would then be in the position to claim the south as king and this idea pleased him.

He looked up to see Shawn walking into his office as he came to a stop in front of his desk and said, "Naraku, we have everything ready. The men are prepared and everyone is in place."

Naraku smiled as he said, "Good Shawn, it has taken a good part of the morning to get everything ready, now have the men move out. It's about time we got rid of those demons that think that they can make the humans and demons live together in peace. We will take back what is rightfully ours and they will be enslaved for all eternity."

Naraku got up from his chair as he made his way out of his office towards his men. It was time that they took back their lands from that demon-loving king and make those demons suffer for what they have done.

Shawn fell into step with Naraku. He was fuming over the remarks Naraku had made and knew that the time had come to bring this human down. He would get the satisfaction of seeing him die and pay with his life, for everything he had done.

The pain and suffering that the princess went though was a crime that could not be left unpunished. He had made the mistake of going after her and now she didn't have her pups. He was going to pay dearly for that.

He continued to follow Naraku as they reached his men that were waiting for him. His forces were ready to move to the Western Lands to meet the demons that will help them fight to win the battle for that kingdom.

He had moved the group going to the Eastern Lands a week ago. They should be arriving at their location for the battle about the same time as his forces. It took them a week of traveling to get there and that's with them moving with great speed. The Eastern Lands were a great distance from where he was located.

Naraku went with the group to the west wanting to see the defeat of the Western Lands and the capturing of Kagome and Inuyasha. He was going to take great pleasure in killing the both of them for killing his beloved.

They all moved out as they went towards the Western Lands. The communications were opened between them to make sure that both attacks happened at the same time.

They had made it to the Western Lands barrier without any trouble. The king's soldiers were not there to stop them as they walked right through the forbidden lands to reach it. They waited there until the other assault group made it to their barrier.

When they were contacted and told that they were ready they each had demons that would help them through the barriers. Once all of his men were through the barrier they made their way towards the demon lord castle.

Demons had been placed along the way to make sure that there were no threats as they traveled. They had made it to the outskirts of the castle, as they got ready to attack. Naraku gave the order for the attack as both armies attacked the Western and Eastern Lands at the same time. It was now time to get rid of these demons.

oOo

Lord Inutaisho was in his office concentrating on his battle plan. He knew that the attack would be coming very soon. He had that nagging feeling in the back of his mind that told him when danger was near.

He brought in all of his commanders and briefed them on what was about to happen. He put his most trusted commanders in charge of the defense of the castle while he left the ones he didn't trust be under their command. He still thought that he had some traitors in his mist and he knew that a lot of his soldiers didn't want the union of Kagome and Inuyasha.

When they all found out that Kagome was with pup the attacks on the castle had become more frequent. Yes he had captured the two informants that were reporting back to that human but he had not caught the traitors that were still in his mist. He had a hunch on who they were but he wasn't positive that they were the traitors.

He hurried to get everyone into place as his feelings were getting stronger. He wanted to end this once and for all so that his youngest son could live in peace with his mate. They deserved to have that.

He got up from his desk as he made his way to the front lines. He was going to be there to defend his land. He made his way towards his son's room as he quietly opened the door to peek into the room.

He saw his son and his mate lying in bed as they rested. He had been outside when they were having their practice fight with Miroku and Sango. He had kept hidden in the forest as he watched them fight. He had been worried when Miroku attacked his son with his most powerful blast and was proud when he just deflected the blast away from himself.

He heard when Miroku pledged his loyalty to his son and this pleased him. He knew that he would protect his son no matter what.

He had done the same thing to him when he had first fought Miroku all those years ago. Miroku was young back then and inexperienced. When he had defeated him he had pledged his loyalty to him and that's how Miroku had come into his service and one of his most trusted advisors.

Back then he hadn't fought him in his true form, but it was still quite a battle. He had been victorious and Miroku had stayed with him throughout the years.

He looked at his sons sleeping form once more before he left his room. He hoped that he could protect his son from any harm. He had to defeat the enemy here before he went to the Eastern Lands to help his eldest son with his battle. Then when they were done there they had to go to the Northern Lands to help Kagome's father.

It was going to be a long battle and one that he has never fought before. He never had to fight a battle in three different locations all at the same time. He just hoped he had enough energy to do it.

He continued to walk until he reached the outside of the castle. He then took to the air to survey the land below. He looked for any weaknesses to his plan as he looked to see where his soldiers were placed.

He looked off to the south and saw a big hole in his perimeters. He went down to his commander to see what was going on. He saw Commander Toukai and said, "Commander Toukai who is suppose to be defending the area to the south?"

His Commander turned towards him and said, "I believe that is suppose to be Kazuki. He is supposed to protect that area. Why are you asking my Lord?"

Inutaisho became enraged as he said, "That area is completely unprotected. Find Kazuki and have him arrested for treason. I want soldiers to be placed in that direction to protect it as soon as possible."

The commander bowed as he hurried off to carryout his orders. Inutaisho then took off again as he surveyed the land below him. He saw as Toukai moved his soldiers into the gap in the defense perimeter. He continued to look for weak spots as he saw something in the near distance.

He went in that direction to find that the humans and demons were coming to attack. They were almost to his line of defense as he sent a howl, warning his soldiers of the impending threat, as they all got ready to do battle.

The attack came full force as the demons attacked his front lines. His soldiers held them off with ease as he saw the humans trying to make it past them. He ordered more soldiers into that area to defend it as the battle raged on.

Then out of the forest came the demons from the mountain clan. These were the same demons he had to put in their places when his son and mate had gone back to Kagome's graduation. Now they were back to fight against him, clearly breaking the treaty that he had with them, as they attacked his soldiers.

He descended from the sky as he took on his true demon form. It was now time to send these bastards to hell for coming to attack his family. He howled as he charged towards the demons in front of him. As his soldiers were holding back the demons that were attacking the front lines.

No one noticed the group of human soldiers that slipped by them to go after Kagome and Inuyasha.

oOo

The humans had made it to the castle as they slipped by the guards that were busy watching the battle raging on in the forest.

They knew where they were heading as they slowly made their way up the castle stairs to where their prey was located. They were walking down the hallway counting the number of doors before they reached their prey.

They met a human female with two katanas in her hands, ready to do battle. She stood in their way as she said, "What do you want here? I will give you to the count of three to leave, before I kill you all and make you pay for even attacking this kingdom."

The soldiers looked at the woman in front of them and said, "We want the half breed and the girl that's with him, you will not stand in our way. Now move aside or we will kill you for being a traitor to your kind and being on the demons side to help these pathetic bastards take over our lands."

Sango held her ground as she went into a fighting stance. She had been up in the upper levels of the castle and saw when the attack started. She saw the biggest dog she had ever seen in her life appear in the battle. She knew that it was Inuyasha's father from what her mate had told her about him. That was his true demon form and he must've been pissed about something to transform like that.

She looked down from her window and saw these bastards entering the castle and knew what they were after. She knew that Kagome and Inuyasha were exhausted from their training and they were laying down resting. So she made her way down to the lower levels incase they had made it up this far.

She was right and they were standing in front of her wanting to get by. She raised her swords to defend Kagome and Inuyasha as the soldiers came forward with their weapons drawn. They had guns and she had swords but what they didn't know was that her mate had given her a protection barrier that would protect her from harm.

Sango attacked as she let out all her frustration and anger on the human males in front of her. She lashed out with her swords as she cut the humans down, as they slowly advanced toward her.

The soldiers opened fire as they tried to kill her but the barrier she had protected her from their bullets. She continued to fight as she heard a growl come from behind her. A blur of silver and red ran right by her as it killed all of the humans in front of her. When she looked to see who it was she was surprised to see Inuyasha standing there with blood coming from the claws he used to kill the soldiers.

oOo

Inuyasha was resting with his mate. After their training session he had taken his mate back to his room and then he proceeded to make it really special for her. He was remembering her heated pants and her wiggling body as he took care of all of her frustrations.

He had made her cry out his name more than a hundred times before they were finally finished both exhausted and sedated. He finally fell asleep with his mate in his arms.

He was awakened by the voices coming from the hallway as he heard Sango give a challenge. He sniffed the air and knew that the battle had started if the human soldiers were in the castle. He pulled away from his mate as she woke up when he laid her back down to rest.

Kagome was sound asleep when she felt her mate move. She groaned when she felt him leave her embrace and felt cold. She opened her eyes to see her mate getting up as he started to growl.

Kagome quickly became alert as she opened her senses and felt the humans out in the hallway with her friend. She quickly got up and got dressed as her mate did the same. They both walked out of the room to see Sango fighting the human soldiers all by herself as she heard her mate growl and attack the offending humans.

When the fight was done Inuyasha was standing in the middle of the hallway with blood dripping from his claws as Kagome made her way towards Sango.

"Sango? Are you hurt?" Kagome asked as she approached her friend.

Sango turned in time to see her friend standing right behind her as she breathed a sigh of relief and said, "No, I'm not hurt.' She turned back toward Inuyasha and said, "Thanks for the help Inuyasha."

Inuyasha turned toward Sango and said with a smile, "Hey Sango, you can really fight with those katanas, nice job."

Inuyasha's compliment caused Sango to blush a deep red as she looked away from him and gave her friend a weak smile.

Kagome smiled at her friend and then she turned serious when she felt someone approaching them. She quickly drew her sword as she turned around to face the new threat.

Inuyasha saw his mates smile and then it vanished as she drew her sword and turned quickly around. He sniffed the air and caught the sent of youkai coming towards him as he rushed towards his mates side and drew his sword as well.

Sango figured that there was something going on when her friends drew their swords and were facing a new threat that was coming. She quickly turned and brought her katana to bear, as she helped protect her friends.

Five demons came running towards them as they all stopped in their tracks and saw what had happened. The human soldiers were dead and the half-breed and his mate were still alive. They had hoped not to get involved in this battle.

They had let the humans pass in hopes of getting rid of the half-breed but that was the wrong idea. They had killed the humans and now they were taking a stand against them. They had no choice, they had to take them down, then they could say that the humans did it and they killed them for revenge.

They approached the half-breed and his mate as the leader said, "I thought that these humans could at least take care of you two but I seem to have been mistaken. You're both still alive and we have to remedy that situation."

Inuyasha became enraged as he said, "How dare you! You are my fathers most trusted advisor and this is how you repay his trust? What makes you think that some mire humans could take care of us?"

"We shouldn't have trusted these humans to do a demons job. We will take care of you ourselves. Then everything will go back to the way it was. With the demons and humans in separate worlds not caring about anything." Said the demon in front of them.

Kagome eyes went wide as she said, "Don't you care about the demons that are enslaved and are being mistreated? They deserve to be free just like you. What makes you think that they want to be slaves?"

The demon turned toward the female and said, "We don't care about those demons. They are beneath us and they deserve to be enslaved. We are the only true demons around here. We have never been enslaved and we are not about to let humans do that to us."

Kagome couldn't believe what she was hearing as she started to get angry at the demons standing in front of her. The hair on the back of Kagome's neck stood up as she sensed the danger and saw the demons attacking.

Her eyes started to go red as she let out a powerful miko blast that purified the demons standing in front of her. She was breathing hard as she finished. 'Those bastards are not true demons. If they were they would care about the demons that were enslaved the way Inuyasha's father does.' She was growling as she finished her train of thought and felt warm arms wrapping themselves around her.

Inuyasha's eyes grew big when he had seen what his mate had done. Her eyes started to go red as he brought her into an embrace and held her to calm her down.

Kagome returned his affections and hugged him back as she calmed down. Inuyasha released his mate to look at her. Her eyes were back to normal as he said, "We have to go. We can't stay here. There will be more demons coming after us like those traitors. We have to find my father and then we will end this and go to the Eastern Lands."

They all agreed as they headed downstairs. They continued to run as they meet with more resistance. They meet the soldiers that were traitors to Inuyasha's father and they took care of them as they went. They were running deep into the forest when they finally got to the battle zone.

Kagome looked up toward the sound that she had heard and her eyes went wide as saucers. She saw the biggest dog she had ever seen in her life. It was fighting with three large demons all at once as she asked, "Who's that?"

Inuyasha looked at his mate and said, "That's my father. He's in his true demon form."

Kagome couldn't believe what her mate was saying. 'So this is what he meant when he said that one time that if his father ever decided to show his true form they would run out of room really fast.'

Kagome saw the cute ears on top of his father's head and said, "Now I know where you get your cute ears from mate."

She heard a growl come from her mate as she turned to look at him. He had a gleam in his eyes that said he liked the compliment as they both turned back to the battle at hand. They saw Inuyasha's father get hit by one of the demons as he went down. He had three deep claw marks on his side and they were bleeding badly.

Kagome thought, 'this is what Inuyasha's mother had warned me about. We have to save him or Inuyasha will lose himself in his grief over his father.'

Inutaisho slowly stood on his shaky legs. He felt the pain running down his side as he took another fighting stance against the demons from the mountains. He saw the demons running towards him as he heard his son cry out, "WIND SCAR!"

The three bright flashes of light went towards the offending demon, killing the nearest one and sending the rest of them backwards away from him. He felt as his son landed on his head and looked up to see him standing there with his sword ready to defend him.

At that moment he couldn't have been more proud that his son had chosen to defend his weakened father. His heart warmed with the love he felt for him, it felt good to have these feelings and he allowed himself, for the second time in his life, to have them.

He felt as another person land on his head and he looked up to see his mate standing by his side ready to protect him. His children stood ready as they all looked at the enemies that were starting their final approach.

oOo

Sango was left behind to fight the demons that were coming toward her. As Inuyasha and Kagome ran off to defend Inuyasha's father they cut down as many demons as they could, leaving Sango with just a hand full to fight. She got ready as she attacked with her katanas.

The demons seeing the human girl running towards them rushed in with their claws extended. She lashed out as she started to bring them down one by one. She was holding her own against them as she was pushing them back from the Western Lands.

This was her home now and she would defend it with her life. She finally found a place that she could belong and be happy and she wasn't about to let these fools take that away from her. She was attacking full force when she felt someone else join her in the battle.

oOo

Miroku had been fighting the enemy as he felt a familiar presence near by. He turned just slightly to see his mate fighting the demons that were attacking. She was holding her own as he saw her fight. 'She's a lot better than I ever thought. My sweet Sango is a wonderful fighter.' He thought with pride as he dispatched his final opponent and he went to help his mate fight.

Sango turned to find her mate fighting along side her as they pushed the enemy back from the Western Lands.

oOo

Inuyasha and Kagome saw the demons coming towards them as he turned to his mate and asked, "Are you ready?"

His mate smiled at him and said, "yes."

They both jumped into the air as Inuyasha released his backlash wave and Kagome released the purifying power of her sword. They both combined together to form a more powerful attack as it went towards the giant demons that were making a move towards Inuyasha's father.

They both landed back on top of his father's head as they saw the power of their attack reach the demon and destroyed them all. The hairs on the back of Inutaisho neck moved up to encircle his children to make sure they were protected from the blast that had occurred. It wrapped them in a protective ball of fur as they were pulled under his hair. He turned his head away as the backwash from the attack reached them.

With those demons destroyed Inutaisho army made quick work of the remaining demons as they won the battle for the Western Lands.

Inuyasha and Kagome were finally released from the hair that was protecting them as they turned their attention to Inuyasha's father and looked at his wounds. He was bleeding pretty badly as they both kneeled on top of his head and sent a wave of healing power to heal his wounds.

Inutaisho growled in thanks as he lowered his head to allow them to get off as he transformed back into his normal form. He was holding the side of his ribs as he walked towards his son and mate and said, "Thank you both for healing me."

Inuyasha quickly filled his father in on who the traitors were. His father made a mental tally of all who were killed for betraying them. By his calculations they should've gotten everyone that he thought that had deceived him and sold them to the enemy.

He called for Commander Toukai and quickly told him what he wanted him to do. He wanted him to take a battalion of his soldiers and head north to defend the Southern Lands against the threat of the northern armies. He was to leave the remainder of the soldiers here to defend the castle and keep the land safe until his return.

Sango and Miroku had joined the group as they heard what was going on. They heard Lord Inutaisho plan as he turned to Inuyasha and Kagome and asked, "Are you two ready to go to the Eastern Lands to help them defeat this evil?"

Inuyasha answered that he was ready but when he looked at his mate she was not paying attention to what was going on. She was deep in thought as she let her rage take over and she turned full youkai. She turned as she sniffed the air and then took off after the one person they had yet to see but knew that he was there watching what was going on.

Inuyasha seeing his mate turn full youkai sniffed the air and caught the scent that his mate had found. He took off after her as his rage took over and he too turned full youkai.

Inutaisho, Miroku, and Sango all looked at each other as they took off after them to see what was going on. They were running so fast that it was almost impossible for them to see where they were going.

Kagome was racing through the forest after the bastard that had started all of this. He had come there with the hopes of seeing them get captured or killed. She was not about to let him get away from her as she raced through the forest after his scent.

oOo

Naraku was pleased with the way the battle was going. They were winning against the demons when he saw the giant dog appear. He had a smirk on his face as he saw the demons from the mountain clan come in to attack him. He knew that they would take care of him as he turned his attention back to the battle at hand.

He had received communications from the forces at the Eastern Lands saying that the battle was going well. They had just sent in the assault force to go after Sesshomaru's mate and they should have her shortly.

He smiled at the thought of the Eastern Lands falling before the end of the day. He had just sent in his own attack force to get the half-breed and his mate. It would only be a matter of time before they were captured and brought to him. He would have the satisfaction of seeing them die by his hand.

He continued to watch as he saw the giant dog go down when one of his demons hit it and he saw him rake his claw down his side. He smiled knowing that the dog demon's demise was coming soon. What he didn't expect was the powerful blast that destroyed the demons from the mountains before they had the chance to kill the dog demon.

He saw the half-breed and his mate land on top of the dog's head as they watched what they had done. 'Fuck! These two have grown in power again. They're stronger than before and now my only advantage in this fight is dead.'

He slowly started to back away from the area. He knew that it was a matter of time before the rest of the demon lord's army defeated his men and his lower class demons. He had to get out of the area before they went after him. He turned tail and ran. He had to come up with another plan. He still had his forces to the east and they might defeat Sesshomaru there. He had the Northern Armies, as they were about to engage the South.

He could still win this if he got away and made it back to the safety of his cave. He continued to run when out of nowhere a demon appeared in front of him blocking his escape. He looked at the demon and he looked familiar to him as he said, "Who are you? And what do you want?"

Shawn had seen him leave the battle when he saw that Kagome and Inuyasha had defeated the demons from the mountains. He knew that it was his only strong attack force for this battle. Without them the rest of his army were no match for the might of Lord Inutaisho army.

Shawn laughed as he said, "Why Naraku, don't you even recognize your own right hand man."

Naraku looked at him like he was crazy, as he saw the demon in front of him put something on and transformed into Shawn.

Naraku face paled as he saw the traitor he had in his mist. He had willingly told him all of his plans and he had relayed that information back here to these bastards. "TRAITOR! I trusted you and this is how you repay my trust. I thought that you were a human not a fucking demon."

Shawn laughed as he said, "Yes I am a demon, but I will make you pay for what you did to our Princess Kagome. You had no right to attack and kill her pups. She has one left but you killed the other two!"

At that moment he heard a howl of anguish come from behind him as he saw Kagome coming out of the forest. She had heard what he had said and she was pissed. Tears of agony were coming from her eyes as she said, "You BASTARD! You killed my pups! YOU KILLED MY PUPS! HOW DARE YOU!"

Inuyasha came out of the forest as he heard his mate's cry of agony and despair. She had heard that she had lost her pups and she was grieving for their loss. He ran towards her as he tired to comfort her, but she wouldn't have it.

Kagome pushed Inuyasha aside as she went after the human that had killed her pups. Naraku never had a chance, as his eyes grew wide at seeing the female demon coming towards him.

Kagome used her claws to kill him and then she continued to slash out at his dead body until there was nothing left of him. She released a howl of agony as she slumped there, on the ground, in grief.

Inuyasha tried to approach his mate as she turned her claws against him. She was in pain at having lost her pups and no one ever told her about it. She rushed her mate with claws extended as she was trying to get rid of the pain she was feeling.

Inuyasha saw her coming as he sidestepped her attack and caught her from behind. They both went down to the ground as he held her in his arms to prevent her from getting away from him and to stop her from killing him.

Inutaisho, Miroku, and Sango finally came into the clearing and saw what was left of the human named Naraku. There was nothing left but pieces of him spread all over the clearing. Sango turned away from the scene and buried her face in her mate's chest.

Shawn quickly came over and explained what was happening and when he got to the part of Kagome hearing that he had killed her other two pups he now understood why his son was holding his mate the way he was. They could do nothing but watch to make sure that Kagome would calm down from her loss.

Inuyasha was holding on to his mate for dear life, he didn't want to let go of her as she was struggling in his grasp. He lowered his fangs to her mating mark as he bit into her shoulder and drew blood to calm her.

Kagome started to relax in his arms as he licked away the blood and closed her wound. He was in pain as he said, "Mate, please calm down. I'm sorry that I never told you about losing your pups, but I didn't want you to blame yourself for the loss. You have every right to go home and see your parents. It's not your fault that they attacked us and they took away our pups. It's my fault for not being strong enough to protect you. We still have one left and it needs us to be strong."

At that moment Kagome felt her pup move as it kicked and turned in her stomach. She completely relaxed in her mate's arms as she continued to cry for the loss of her other pups. She knew that something had been missing and now she knew what it was.

Inuyasha seeing that his mate had completely relaxed in his arms sat up bringing her along with him. He turned her around in his grasp and she quickly wrapped her arms around his body and buried her face into his chest and cried. He rocked her back and forth trying to sooth her hurting heart as she grieved. He started to purr to calm her and it did. He stopped before he could put her to sleep.

They still had another battle to win and he needed her to be strong. His heart ached for his mate but they would grieve later for the loss of their pups. "Kagome, are you all right?"

Kagome looked at her mate with tears running down her cheeks, as she said, "No I'm not all right, that bastard took my pups away from me and I will never see them again."

He tried to soothe her as he said; "I know Koishii but we still have two more battles to win before we can grief for them. We must go help my brother and then we have to go north to help your father. We have to win this fight, if not for us, then for our pup. We want it to grow up in a place where it could be happy and free. We don't want it to ever know the pain and suffering we went through to have a peaceful life."

Kagome heard his words and he was right. If they wanted a place where their pup could grow up without slavery then they had to win the fight they were in. She pulled away from her mate as she said, "You're right mate, we have to win this fight. I'm ready, lets go to the Eastern Lands." As she finished speaking she was wiping away the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand.

Inuyasha smiled as he leaned down and kissed his mate. When he pulled away from her, her eyes were back to normal and so were his. They both got up from the ground as the rest of their group came towards them.

Inutaisho had been worried that Kagome would not be willing to fight as her grief for her pups were making her unstable. He was relieved that she had calmed down and was ready to continue the battle. He knew that she was hurting but they would wait until they had finished with the battles before they would grieve for the pups.

Kagome and Inuyasha turned to see everyone coming towards them. They stopped in front of them, as Inuyasha said, "Is everyone ready to go to the Eastern Lands?"

Inutaisho stepped forward and said, "Are you sure you're both up to this?"

"Yes, we're up for this. Lets get this over with so we can end this fight." Said Inuyasha as he eyed the group that was around them.

They all agreed as Miroku turned to Sango and said, "Sango I want you to stay here. I don't want you in the middle of danger when we get to the Eastern Lands."

Sango became enraged and said, "I'm not staying here! I'm going with you!"

They were about to get into an argument when Kagome said, "Miroku, she is coming with us and that's final."

Miroku looked at the princess and was about to protest when he heard a growl come from Inuyasha telling him that it was a closed issue if he wanted to remain alive. If he upset Kagome anymore than she already was he would not hesitate to kill him. He bowed his head in defeat as Kagome got ready to teleport all of them to the Eastern Lands.

They heard a noise off to the side as Mike came running into the clearing and said, "Hey, you're not thinking about leaving me behind are you. I'm coming too."

They all laughed as Kagome concentrated to get them all to the Eastern Lands. She felt a surge of power as her mate lent her some of his strength and they all vanished. Kagome had teleported all of them to the Eastern Lands as the fight continued.

oOo

That is the end to the chapter. The group had fought and won the battle for the Western Lands. Now they have to head for the Eastern Lands and fight there. But the battle that is being fought there is a lot worse than the battle fought for the Western Lands. Will they be able to defeat the evil there? Will they be able to continue to fight and go to the Northern Lands to help Kagome's father?

You will have to wait to see what will happen, as the battle continues in the Eastern Kingdom.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30: The Battle for the Eastern Lands

Sesshomaru was standing on the balcony of his room overlooking his land. You could see the stress that was on his face as he contemplated his life. He had made a big mistake when he failed to tell his father about his mating. His mate was mad at him and had not spoken to him for a day.

She had gone back to not sleeping at night because he was not there to comfort and protect her. She had finally told him why she never slept at night. She was attacked once during the night and feared getting attacked again, so she never slept. When they had gotten closer and she had permitted him to hold her in his arms, she fell asleep for the first time in years.

He took great pride in knowing that he was the source of her comfort but his betrayal had hurt her more than he knew. She had refused his comfort and hadn't slept. This bothered him, he had sworn to protect and love her but so far all he did was make her unhappy.

He came to a decision, he was going to make her listen to what he had to say. When all this was over he would make amends with his father. He owned him an apology for not telling him that he was mated.

He took great comfort in knowing that his father had traveled here to bring his mate a sword that would protect her in case she was attacked. She has been practicing with the sword to see if she could master it. He knew, that within time, she would be able to use it to its full abilities.

He was turning around, about to make his way back into his room to go after his mate, when he heard a blast coming from the perimeter of his castle. He turned and sniffed the air as he caught the scent of intruders nearby.

His mate would have to wait he had to tend to the threat that was approaching his land and he had to protect her. He hoped that she would forgive him as he placed a barrier around their portion of the castle where she was located to protect her.

He knew that she would be mad but he had to protect her no matter what. He rose from the balcony and flew through the air as he made his way out into the forest to survey the battle.

He saw all of his soldiers in place as they held off the demons that were attacking his lands. The battle was growing worse as they continued to fight. He landed on the ground and joined his soldiers in the battle. He took out his sword as he charged toward the offending demons that threatened to take his lands.

He moved with speed as he killed rows and rows of demons that were attacking them. He released the power of his sword as blades came out to kill the enemy that was a threat to his land. The more demons he killed the more appeared out of nowhere to fight. His soldiers, seeing that their lord had joined them in the fight, fought with more vigor as they followed him into battle.

They were taking hard hits as Sesshomaru started to see his soldiers go down one by one. They pulled back and regrouped as they attacked again more vigorously.

Then some huge demons appeared that were not from his lands. These demons were big as they approached the barrier protecting the castle. They stood about 30 feet high and they had one eye where there would normally be two. They were big and sluggish with long arms and short legs but they possessed a great deal of power.

The demons attacked his barrier until they brought it down. Then they moved towards the fight to attack the demons from the Eastern Lands. They were powerful as his soldiers tried to hold them off.

Sesshomaru seeing that they were loosing the battle transformed into his true form. His eyes glowed red from anger, as his nose started to get longer and a snout formed. His body became longer as his arms and legs grew into legs and paws. His purple stripes remained on his face, two stripes on each side of his cheeks and he had his crescent moon on his forehead to signify his status.

His hair grew longer as his silver main covered his body. The hairs that hung down on the side of his face looked like two perfect little long tubes of cotton. His eyes glowed red as he gave a howl into the growing night sky.

The invading demons hearing the howl coming from the castle stopped their attack as they stood still to listen. They were trying to find where the beast was coming from. They heard another howl as the great dog of the Eastern Lands made his way toward the battle.

The demons upon seeing the great dog swallowed hard as they attacked. They went after Sesshomaru with full force.

Sesshomaru was putting up a good fight he wasn't about to lose to a bunch of demons that wanted to take his lands. He had fought to get the lands with his father and he will fight to keep them.

Then he heard a howl coming from the distance and he recognized it. He was hit from the side when he wasn't paying attention as he went down hard. The demons were about to finish him off when they heard the challenge and fell dead from the attack. Sesshomaru looked up to see who had saved him and he was surprised at what he saw.

oOo

Jinx was in the training hall when she heard a blast coming from the outside. She stopped, as she turned to listen to the alarms being sounded in the distance. She knew that they were being attacked, as her heart sank. She had not made up with her mate and she knew that he was on his way to the battle.

She rushed out of the training hall and headed towards their bedchambers. She wanted to get to her mate before he left for the battle.

As she rushed into their bedroom she saw her mate going towards the battle as he flew from the balcony. She rushed out there to see if she could stop him but she was too late. He was already gone and had joined his soldiers in the fight.

She turned as she started to make her way out of the castle to join her mate but the barrier he had placed on their portion of the castle stopped her. She screamed in frustration as she hit the ground on her hands and knees crying. She wanted to tell her mate that she loved him but he had sealed her within the walls of the castle.

Jinx finally got herself together as she slowly stood up and went back to look at the battle that was raging outside. Something caught her eye as she looked down to see demon and human soldiers coming into the castle. She knew that they were after her and she was determined to fight them.

She had set traps all over the castle that she could control on her computer, as she hurried to get it ready. She had also set up cameras so she could see what was going on. Her computer came to life as she moved from camera to camera trying to find the intruders.

She finally located the intruders. They were one floor below her making their way to her location. When they approached the bend in the hallway she released her first trap. Arrows were shot from different locations from within the hallway as she took down about five human soldiers and one demon. She was lucky with the demon she had caught him in the heart with her arrows.

The intruders continued to go towards her location as she continued to set off trap after trap to try and stop them. They were getting good at dodging her attacks and by the time they had finally made it to her part of the castle there was only a hand full of them left, all of them demon soldiers.

She got up as she made her way towards the entrance of their living quarters. She was going to deal with the threat, but first she activated the necklace that Kagome had given her. They didn't need to know that she was a human. She said, "Demon form." And transformed into the disguise that the princess had given her.

Her hair grew longer to about her waist; she still had black hair with a hint of blue. She had elfin ears on the side of her head were her normal ears would be. She grew a little taller as she grew claws and fangs. She had one purple stripe on each side of her cheeks and she looked like an Inu Youkai.

She was happy with the way she looked as she went towards the intruders. She stood in the hallway as she heard them trying to breakdown the barrier that was placed on the door. They finally succeed as she drew her sword to face the threat.

The intruders saw the youkai standing in front of them. They were shocked, they didn't expect to see a youkai standing there waiting for them. She didn't look like the human they were told to go after. This female was a demon and the girl they were after was human. They thought that she was some sort of guard, as they got ready to attack.

They charged towards Jinx as she readied her attack. As they rushed toward her she let go of the power of her sword. She swung her sword down with all the force she could muster as a single beam of light came out to attack the intruders. The beam killed half of them as she rushed in to attack with her sword.

Jinx was fighting against the intruders when some help finally arrived.

oOo

The group from the Western Lands finally arrived at the Eastern Lands, as the battle was raging on. Kagome went weak in the knees as Inuyasha caught her in his arms. He looked at her with concern in his eyes as she said, "I'm alright, just give me a minute to recover from the teleportation."

They heard the sound of a howl coming from the near distance as Inutaisho stood straight up and listened. It had been a long time since he had heard that howl but he knew it belonged to his eldest son. He got a worried look in his eyes as he stared off toward the battle. The fighting must have gotten really bad if his son had transformed into his true form.

Kagome saw the look in his eyes as she said, "Inuyasha, you and the others go and help Sesshomaru. I'll stay here and rest for a few minutes, then I will join you."

Inuyasha was not about to leave his mate as his father said, "Shawn, Mike, and Sango I want you three to stay with Kagome until she is strong enough. Inuyasha and Miroku you two will come with me. If we don't get there soon they will kill Sesshomaru."

Inuyasha was torn between his sense of duty and his mate. Kagome seeing that he was being torn apart said in a soft voice, "Mate, go with your father and help your brother. I will be safe with Shawn and Mike. Please, you have to go."

Shawn and Mike heard the princess's words as Mike stepped forward and said, "My Lord, we will protect her with our lives. No harm will come to your mate or pup. We give you our word."

Inuyasha leaned down and kissed his mate as he gave in to her request. With a heavy heart he left his mate to be protected by the two demons who had sworn to keep her safe.

Kagome saw her mate leave with his father as she turned her attention to the castle behind her. She could sense that there was trouble. She closed her eyes and started to concentrate on finding Jinx. She sensed that she was in the castle but she also sensed the demons and humans making there way up into the upper portions for the castle. They were traveling as a group, which meant that they were the enemy.

She was still weak from teleporting everyone to the Eastern Lands as she said, "Shawn, Mike, Sango, Jinx is in trouble there are about 20 demons and humans heading towards her location. We have to get into the castle to help her. She's strong but she will not last long against a force like that.

If they capture her then the Eastern Lands will fall because her mate will do anything to make sure she doesn't get hurt." Kagome started to get up from the ground as she started to fall from being weak.

Shawn seeing her start to fall quickly picked her up and then started moving towards the castle. Mike and Sango followed behind as they raced through the castle to try and help Jinx before she was captured and used against her mate.

Kagome was telling them were they needed to go as she used her senses to locate Jinx. When they started seeing dead humans and demons in the hallways the group slowed as they focused on any potential threat to them.

Kagome noticed that there were cameras set up in different locations along the hallway so that they could watch who was coming towards them. She had guessed that Jinx had set them up and she was using them to attack the intruders as they approached.

They finally reached the area where Jinx was located as they entered the upper level to Sesshomaru's living quarters. When they entered they saw a female youkai fighting against 5 demons but she was tiring from the fight. She had already killed about six of them as she continued to fight against the intruders.

Shawn placed Kagome in a chair by the door as he and Mike went to help the female youkai.

Jinx turned to see two more demons coming towards her and she didn't know who they were. She thought that they were coming after her too when she saw them attacking the demons that were standing right in front of her. They were there to help her, not take her as a captive. Together they made short work of the demons that had come to take Jinx away.

Jinx seeing that the battle was done looked at the demons and asked, "Who are you? And what do you want here?"

Jinx heard a weak voice coming from her right as she turned to find Kagome sitting in a chair looking pale. "They're with me Jinx and we came to help you. I knew that they would be after you so we came here while my mate, his father, and Miroku went to help Sesshomaru."

Jinx quickly walked over to Kagome and asked, "Are you alright? You look really pale at the moment."

Kagome smiled as she said, "Yes, I'm all right just tired from bringing everyone here. It really takes a lot out of me to teleport a group that large." Kagome saw the concern look in her eyes as she smiled and continued, "Jinx, let me introduce you to my friends. This is Shawn, Mike, and Sango. Everyone this is Jinx, Sesshomaru's mate."

Everyone said their hello's as they all turned toward the window when they heard a blast coming from the forest. They all went to the balcony to look at what was happening in the near distance.

They saw a bright flash of light as it engulfed the area protecting a giant dog that was down. They saw another giant dog come to his aid as they stood there facing the threat. They were being attacked from the ground and the air as they saw the demons flying around attacking, trying to take them down.

Jinx saw her mate on the ground as her fear started to take over. She feared that she would lose her mate and she would never be able to tell him how much she loved him. The love she felt and the fear in her heart caused her to lose control as a great deal of power started to emerge from within her.

Jinx started to transform as her mating mark started to glow. With her transformation the concealment spell was no longer needed as it deactivated and the real Jinx appeared. Once this was done her whole body started to glow as she transformed into her true demon form.

Her hair had turned to silver as it grew down to her butt. Her hair had a hint of blue giving her hair the color of the moon on one of its most perfect nights. Her eyes turned a blood red as she grew claws and fangs. One purple stripe appeared on each side of her cheek as a crescent moon appeared on her forehead.

With her transformation complete she started to growl as she jumped from the balcony to join her mate in the battle. She was not about to lose the only person that she loved most in this world.

Shawn, Mike, Sango, and Kagome watched as Jinx transformed into her demon form. She took a running start as she leaped from the balcony to get to her mate.

At the moment Kagome felt an immense pain in her heart as she screamed, "INUYASHA!"

She fell to her knees as the fear and anger was filling her heart. Her Inuyasha was in pain and she could tell. She needed to get to her mate and fast, before he left her in this world all alone. She let her rage take over as she too transformed into her demon form.

Her eyes glowed blood red, as her hair turned the same color as Inuyasha but she had ebony bangs in front of her eyes. Her claws and fangs grew longer as two purple stripes appeared on each side of her cheeks. A crescent moon appeared on her forehead as her ears turned into elfin ears on the side of her head.

Kagome, this time, had turned into her true demon form. She slowly stood on her feet as she looked out over the horizon trying to find her mate. Her eyes locked on his position and she leaped from the balcony to go after him. All of her fear of heights had vanished as her need to be with her mate grew more by the minute.

Mike grabbed Sango as they leaped from the balcony following the two women into battle. They had sworn to protect Kagome but she was moving so fast that they were having a hard time trying to keep up with her. They were all still in shock at what they had witnessed.

oOo

Inutaisho and his group were running through the forest to get to the battle. He stopped and howled into the air to tell his son that help was on the way. They were fighting their way to where Sesshomaru was located. It was a fierce battle as they continued their headlong flight.

They finally made it to the area where Sesshomaru was fighting the large demons and they saw him take a hit and go down. The demons, seeing that Sesshomaru was down took advantage of the situation to attack.

Inuyasha seeing that his brother was about to be attacked rushed in with his Tetsusaiga drawn and yelled, "GET AWAY FROM MY BROTHER YOU BASTARDS!"

He leaped into the air as he yelled, "WIND SCAR!" The three bright flashes of light came out of his sword as it went toward the offending demons. The blast killed the nearest three demons as the others got out of the way, pushing them back away from his brother.

Inuyasha had landed near his brother as he fell to one knee, panting. He was still weak from fighting in the Western Lands but he had to continue if they were to win this battle.

Sesshomaru looked down to see his brother land right in front of him. He couldn't believe that his brother was protecting him. He had seen the power that he held as he destroyed about three demons with his blast.

Sesshomaru started to move but he still felt weak as his brother was on one knee on the ground. 'No doubt he just used all of his strength in one attack against the enemy. He's weak if just one swing of his sword makes him fall to his knees.' He thought as he looked at his brother.

He saw the demons coming back to attack as he finally made it up to his feet. He stood there on shaky leg as he waited for their attack.

He heard a howl coming from the forest as another giant dog appeared next to him and stood by his side. He knew that this was his father and he had come to help him in this battle. He was grateful for the assistance as they both stood side by side ready to attack.

The demons came charging in as the group attacked the giant demons. Inuyasha attacked with the power of his Tetsusaiga again as it killed the front demons allowing his father and brother to take advantage of demons momentary distractions to attack.

They attacked viciously as the battle continued to rage on.

oOo

Jinx was running through the forest as she finally reached the battle. She pulled the sword from its sheath as she raced into the battle trying to find her mate. She fought hard as the land was shaking from the impact of the blast that were being released.

The battlefield was a sea of blood as there were demons and humans alike that were killed in the battle to take the Eastern Land.

Jinx finally made it to where her mate was fighting in the battle. She saw him take another hit and he went down hard. She saw the demon going towards her mate as she rushed in and yelled, "GET AWAY FROM MY MATE OR I WILL SQUASH YOU LIKE A PANCAKE!"

The demon that was about to attack Sesshomaru heard the challenge of the female and laughed as he made his way towards her leaving Sesshomaru lying on the ground. The demon approached the female and stopped as he brought his claws to bear and swung down to kill Jinx.

Jinx was pissed to high heaven as she said, "You asked for it."

She leaped into the air as she swung her sword across her body and said, "PANCAKE SQUASH!" A giant disk came out of her sword as it went toward the demon. It grew in size as it continued to spin and gain power. It hit the demon in the chest and when it brought him down it did squash him like a pancake. There was nothing left of the demon but just a mark on the earth where he had landed.

Jinx landed on the ground panting from the effort of killing the giant demon that wanted to harm her mate. She turned towards her mate and ran towards him. When she finally reached him she jumped onto his head as she said in his ear, "Mate!" and purred to her delight that he was all right.

Sesshomaru saw as the female demon in front of him flatten the demon that was about to kill him. He slowly stood on his feet as he felt a gentle thump on his head. He looked up to see the female youkai standing on his head as she said in his ear, "Mate!" and purred.

Sesshomaru's ear perked up. He knew that purr it was the one that his mate used all the time, but this was a demon not his Jinx. Then he heard, "I'm sorry mate. Please forgive me for treating you so bad, I love you and want you to stay with me." His heart warmed as he inhaled her scent. She smelled of mandarin sweet and pure. It was his mate and he purred at having her with him safe and sound.

He turned his head as he saw the demons attacking his father. He turned, with Jinx still on his head, as he raced to help his father.

oOo

Inuyasha had been holding his own against the two demons in front of him. He was getting tired and he didn't know how much longer he could keep up his attack. His body ached from all of his wounds. He had been unable to concentrate on healing them because he had his attention turned towards the enemy. He needed to finish this and soon. He was worried about his mate and pup and worried about her health. He wanted to get back to them as soon as possible.

He hit one of the demons with his wind scar as he was hit from behind and was thrown about 30 feet away from the other demon that was left. The demon was making his way toward him as he tried to get up. He was on his hands and knees when he saw someone jump in front of him to protect him.

oOo

Kagome had been running through the forest looking for her mate. As she ran she noticed that the majority of the demons that were slain were slaves. They all had the subduing necklaces around their necks. Her heart ached in knowing that they really didn't want to fight in this battle but they had been forced.

She picked up on her mate's scent as she rushed to be at his side. When she arrived she saw him get hit and was thrown to the ground as he landed on his back weak from all the fighting. He was trying to get up but he couldn't, she rushed in and pulled her sword from its sheath as she leaped in front of him to protect him.

She transformed her sword into a bow and arrow as she took aim and then let go of the arrow. The arrow traveled toward its target as it hit the demon in the chest and killed it. The beast let out an anguished cry of agony as the arrow purified him and then his body disappeared.

Kagome turned to her mate as she rushed to his side.

Inuyasha had made it to a sitting position, he had his hands out in front of him trying to stay sitting up as Kagome came towards him. She kneeled in front of him as she nuzzled him under his chin and purred, "Mate!"

The scent of his mate soothed his tired body as he brought her into his embrace. He was glad that she was all right. He felt her healing powers engulf his body as it healed all of his wounds.

When he pulled her away from his embrace that's when he saw that she had changed into a full youkai. Her transformation was complete and she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He leaned in and kissed her as they held each other in their embrace.

He pulled away from her as they both stood to face the enemy. The battle was far from over as they both rushed back so they could end this fight.

oOo

Miroku rushed into the battle with Inuyasha and his father. He was battling the demons on the ground with the soldiers as Inuyasha and his father went to help Sesshomaru.

He continued to battle trying to push the demons back when he saw that they were getting attacked from the sky. Bat demons had appeared in the sky and they were attacking Sesshomaru, Inutaisho, and Inuyasha. He had to do something or else they would lose the fight. He had no choice as he made up his mind to join the battle in his true form.

He started to concentrate as his true demon form started to come out. His hair changed from black to a pure red that look like fire as it came down to about his waist. He had it pinned back in a low ponytail to keep it in place. His wings were made of golden feathers that appeared on his back as he spread his wings wide to flex them. He had three long golden tail feathers that spread out behind him as he stood. He wore a string of magic gems crowning his forehead to signify his status.

He spread his wings wide as he took to the air. He was making his way toward the bat demons, as he got ready to attack. He saw a group of them heading towards his lord as he descended from the sky like a bullet to intercept. His wings made him fly but they served a dual purpose. They were as sharp as knives as he used them to cut down his enemy.

He came in and slashed them with his wings, killing the closet bat demon to his lord. The bat demons seeing the new threat pulled back from their attack as they turned to attack him instead.

Miroku used his fireballs to attack the bat demons as he was slowly defeating them. He kept moving around not letting them get close to touch or hurt him. The battle was fierce as he continued with his attacks.

He was keeping his senses open to find their location. But some of them had sneaked in behind him and he was hit. He let out a cry as he got hit. They continued to attack him as he tried to defend himself. He thought that he was finished as someone else came to his aid. His eyes opened wide as he saw who had come to his aid and fell unconscious.

oOo

Mike, Shawn, and Sango were trying to follow Kagome into the forest. She was moving so fast that the demons had to resort to using their noses to follow where she went. They arrived at the main battle as they engaged the enemy.

Sango was in the thick of battle when she saw a flash go off in the sky. She looked up to see a demon with golden wings fighting against a large attack force of bat demons. She saw him moving in and out of them as she was seeing the bat demons falling from the sky. He was using his wings to cut them down while he blasted some of them with his fireballs.

Sango's eyes grew wide when she finally realized who was fighting up there. It was her mate. She had only seen his true demon form once, on the day of their mating. He wanted her to see what he really looked like before he made her his mate. She had thought that he was the most gorgeous demon she had ever seen as she accepted him as her mate.

She saw her mate get hit as her fear of losing him took control of her body. She screamed, "MIROKU!" and felt her heart break with sorrow. Her grief was changing her as she was starting to transform into a demon.

The thought of transforming into a demon didn't scare her anymore. She accepted her fate as she allowed the transformation to happen so she could protect her mate.

Her hair changed from a chocolate brown to a pure red that look like fire as it came down to about her waist. Her wings were made of golden feathers that appeared on her back as she spread her wings wide to flex them as they wrapped around her body to protect her until her transformation was complete. She had two long golden tail feathers that spread out behind her as she stood. Her eyes took on the look of the blazing sun at sundown. She had one magic gem on her forehead that radiated with power.

She wore a suit of golden armor that hugged her body to perfection, revealing every curve that her body possessed. The armor would shield her from any harm. She wore her katanas at her hip, one on each side, as her transformation was complete.

Sango stood as she spread her wings and took off after her mate. She didn't know where she got the knowledge on how to fly but she didn't care. She raced through the air as she placed a fire barrier around her, to protect her, as she made her way towards her mate.

The bat demons seeing the new intruder went after her. Sango's rage, for them attacking her mate, caused the fire barrier around her to get bigger. She was surrounded in flames as she made her way towards her mate as she was attacking the enemy.

Once she reached her mate her barrier went around him to protect him until he recovered from the attack. The warmth of her fire slowly started to bring him back to consciousness.

Sango turned her attention toward the bat demons that were flying around her. She couldn't get a good shot at them because they were moving fast through the air. She got an evil look in her eyes as she drew her katanas from their sheath and held them in her hands.

Sango made ready her attack as she started to concentrate. She then threw her katanas at the bat demons. When she threw the twin blades at the bat demons they started to spin. They began spinning faster and faster as they went. They curved slightly like her Hiraikotsu as they started to kill the enemy. They traveled with a purpose as the blades were cutting down everything in its path. The blades then turned and started to come back to her as she reached up with her hands and caught them.

Sango continued to protect her mate with her swords when she heard a moan coming from behind her.

Miroku started to wake up from his ordeal. He thought that he would have been killed by now from being attacked, he remembered seeing another like him, but that was impossible.

He felt warm as the fires from his aura gave him strength. When he opened his eyes he saw that he wasn't in his fire but in the fire of another Hou youkai. He knew that he was the last of his kind so he had no idea where this Hou youkai came from.

He noticed that it was an Ou Youkai and then his eyes went wide with understanding. His mate had transformed into her true demon form and she was protecting him. She was the same as him and her fire was protecting him.

He started to notice that she was getting tired from the battle as she was slowing down in her attacks. With a powerful kick of his wings he rose straight into the air as the bat demons followed him. He touched his forehead to the center jewel and concentrated. He took his other hand as he pointed with his fingers.

A powerful beam came out of the jewel as it followed the path of his hand and killed all of the remaining bat demons that were left.

Miroku went towards his mate as he eyed her. He had no idea if she would recognize him or not. He approached with care as Sango slowly started to turn towards her mate. She smiled weakly at him as she said, "Mate!" and started to fall.

Miroku raced after his mate as he caught her in his arms. Sango was exhausted from the battle as he held her in his arms to protect her from harm. The battle was still raging on down below as he tried to think of a way to help defeat these demons.

He looked toward his left and saw a powerful blast forming in that area. It exploded with such power that it covered the entire area. He knew that something must've happened for such power to be released. He flew toward that direction hoping that nothing had happened to his friends.

oOo

Kagome and Inuyasha were racing through the forest to get back to the battle. As they were running Kagome noticed that the slaves were still being used to attack the demons from Eastern Lands. Her heart ached with the knowledge that they didn't want to fight but were being forced too.

Kagome continued to ponder this situation as a demon ran out of the forest with his claws bared ready to slash her. Kagome meet the challenge head on as she ran towards the demon, grabbed the necklace from around his neck, and broke it.

The demon that had come after her collapsed to the ground, panting. Kagome had to stop her mate from attaching the demon for something that wasn't his fault.

The demon looked up at her and Inuyasha as he bowed his head low and said, "Thank you, my lady for breaking the spell. We were forced to fight in this battle. None of us want to kill, all we want is to be set free."

Kagome looked at her mate and said, "We have to find a way to break the subduing necklaces from around their necks. If we can stop the slaves from attacking then it would be easier to defeat our true enemies."

Inuyasha heard his mate's words as he said, "How are we going to do that? It's one thing to fight a demon one on one but it's a lot more difficult when you're fighting ten against one."

'I wonder, how can we get rid of the necklaces without hurting the demon slaves?' Thought Kagome as she looked at the demon in front of her. She smiled and said, "You can get up now. You are free to leave whenever you want."

The demons eyes grew big as it looked up at Kagome. He was in shock when he asked, "Are you freeing me my lady?" Kagome's eyes grew soft as she said, "Yes, you are free. I have broken your necklace and you can no longer be controlled."

"Thank you my lady." Said the demon as he bowed deep to her. "May I ask your name?"

"My name is Kagome and this is my mate Inuyasha." The demon's heart started to race when he heard her name. He had heard those names before as the only one's that could set them all free.

He kneeled on one knee as he said, "My Lord and Lady. I have pledged that if I ever escaped from my bondage that I would try to find and protect you from those humans. We slaves owe you a debt of gratitude because without you we could never be set free."

Kagome heard the sadness in his voice, "You don't need to protect us but I do want something in return. Not all humans are evil. I only ask that you don't kill innocent humans because if you ever did then I would have to come after you."

The demon understood as he got up to leave. He was starting to walk away when he said over his shoulder. "I will not hurt innocent humans. You have my word on that My Lady."

Kagome watched the demon leave but they still had a problem how to stop the demon slaves from attacking the rest of them. At that moment her sword seemed to pulse as she closed her eyes to rub the weariness away from her temples. When she opened them she saw Izayoi standing in front of her.

"Kagome, the only way to save the remaining slaves is to break all of the subduing necklaces all at once. You can do this if you and Inuyasha channel all of your miko powers into my sword and then use it to break the spell. You don't have much time as another wave of demon slaves are coming here to do battle." Said Izayoi as she looked at Kagome with concern.

Kagome heard what Izayoi said, then she had a thought, "Couldn't I use the jewel to break the spell on the necklaces?"

"Yes, you could but then you will have no energy left to go and help your father. The battle there has not started yet and they are going to need all of you to defeat the Northern Lands." Said Izayoi with worry. She knew that both Kagome and Inuyasha were tired from the battle but they have to continue to fight or everything would be lost.

"Kagome, you must wake up." Izayoi said with urgency in her voice.

Kagome looked at her but she didn't understand. She was awake. "WAKE UP KAGOME!"

oOo

Inuyasha saw as his mate was rubbing her temples trying to get rid of the weariness she was feeling. She went weak in the knees as he caught her before she fell. The fighting was getting to her. He knew she was tired and they still had one more battle to do.

Inuyasha picked his nose up as he caught the scent of intruders coming towards him. He cursed under his breath. He gently placed his mate against a tree and placed a barrier around her, while he took care of the threat. He pulled his sword from its sheath as he brought it forward to protect his mate.

A group of humans and demons came out of the thick foliage to find Inuyasha standing there with his sword and a demon female sitting up against the tree.

One of the humans said, "Hey, isn't that the half breed that Naraku went after in the Western Lands?"

The other humans looked at the half-breed in front of them and said, "Yea, that's him."

The human soldiers turned toward the demon slaves that were with them and said, "Capture the half breed and the demon wench. We could use them to win this battle."

The youkai looked at Inuyasha and then to Kagome. They saw that his mate was with pup and didn't want to attack. The male was only defending its mate. When the human soldiers saw that the demons weren't moving he yelled. "OBEY!"

The necklaces around the demons neck grew bright as it sent a wave of pain through their bodies. When it finally released them they staggered forward ready to attack.

Inuyasha didn't know what to do. The demons didn't want to attack but they were being forced. He held his sword in front of him as he concentrated on keeping the barrier around his mate. He was weak. He couldn't place a barrier around the both of them so he placed one around her. It was small as it only encircled her body.

Inuyasha heard his mate moan from behind him as he took a fighting stance against the demons in front of him. He didn't want to attack them but he would protect his mate no matter what.

Kagome woke with a start as she saw 5 demons standing in front of her mate. She saw the necklaces around their necks as she started to concentrate. She quickly lashed out with her hand as five separate beams of light came forth from her fingers and went toward each demon. But instead of her attack killing the demons, she blasted away the necklaces from around their necks.

The demons stopped their growling as they felt a surge of power. They all looked down to see the subduing necklaces all on the ground.

Inuyasha stood straight up and put his sword back in its sheath. He stood there as he eyed the demons in front of him.

The demons looked up from the ground with gratitude in their eyes. They bowed down and said their thanks as they turned towards the humans that were their master.

The humans upon seeing that the demons had been released from their subduing necklaces slowly started to back away from the fight. They turned tail and ran as the demons gave chase. They were about to get their revenge for all the years of cruelty they had given them.

Inuyasha lowered his head as he returned to his mate. He knew that he should stop them from killing the humans but they were evil and if they lived then they could come back to hurt his mate and pup.

Inuyasha walked over to Kagome and said with concern, "Kagome, are you all right?"

Kagome looked up and said, "Yes, I'm all right just tired. We must break the spell on the necklaces but in order to do that I'm going to need your help."

Inuyasha looked at his mate as he said, "How are we going to break the spell?"

Kagome slowly stood on her feet with her mates help. Once she was standing she unsheathed her sword and said, "I need you to concentrate on all of your mahoutsukai powers and channel it into my sword. I will do the same with my miko powers.

When we have enough energy then I can release the spell that will break all of the necklaces in this area. We have to break them all if we want to win this fight. There are more demon slaves that are coming to join the fight, unless we can break the spell that they are under."

Inuyasha saw the determined look she had in her eyes. He agreed as they started the transfer of power before they were discovered and attacked.

Kagome held her sword in front of her as she put both her hands on the hilt of the sword. Inuyasha did the same as they both started to concentrate on what they had to do. They both started to glow a pale blue, as their auras grew stronger. Then they started to channel that power into the sword.

The sword pulsed as it started to gather their miko powers. They had both just about given everything they had but it still wasn't enough to break so many necklaces.

Kagome was panting as she said under her breath, "Izayoi, please help us. We don't have enough energy to break all of the necklaces in the area."

Inuyasha mother heard Kagome's plea for help as she lent the sword some of her strength and it grew in length. The whole time they were feeding the sword with their power a powerful glow started to surround them. It grew as the power grew with the sword to encircle them both.

Kagome finally felt that she had enough energy to break all of the subduing necklaces in the area as she chanted her spell. When she finished a powerful blast came forth from the sword as it pulsated across the land for over a hundred-mile radius.

A bright flash of light engulfed the area as the light spread across the battlefield. The fighting had stopped the moment the bright flash of light hit the area blinding everyone in the process.

The pulse served three purposes. One was to heal all of the soldiers hurt in the area. Two it broke all the subduing necklaces on all of the demon slaves that were fighting in or about to fight in the battle, and three it purified all those demons that had malice in their hearts for human.

Once the energy from the sword had been released, Kagome and Inuyasha fell on the ground unconscious. Tired from the battle to save the Eastern Lands.

Izayoi looked on as her son and mate laid on the ground unconscious. She was proud of her son and what he had done to protect his brother. She leaned over and kissed his cheek as she rubbed the place between his ears.

She looked over at his mate who was lying next to him as she placed a gentle hand on her stomach. She felt the life within her as she smiled and said, "Little one you will be strong and I know that you will give your father a run for his money. Remember always who you are and where you came from."

Izayoi stood as she looked at her children lying there. She placed a barrier around them to protect them until her mate could find their location. She knew he would be coming soon and she didn't want to take the chance of them getting hurt while they were unconscious. She smiled once again as she disappeared from the area but always being close to protect her son.

oOo

Inutaisho and Sesshomaru were fighting against the large demons. They were winning the fight but it was taking longer than they had expected.

Inutaisho attacked again as he slashed his claws toward his enemy. The demon finally fell from his attack as he turned his attention toward the next demon.

Sesshomaru was fighting with his own demon with Jinx on top of his head. She would lash out with her sword and he would follow up with his poisoned claws at his enemy.

Jinx was about to lash out again with her sword when a blinding flash of light hit her in the eyes and she lost her balance. She started to fall when the hair in back of Sesshomaru's neck came up and caught her before she fell and pulled her back toward his head.

He felt the surge of a tremendous power coming toward them as he heard his father say to get down. He quickly went down as his hairs wrapped around Jinx like a cocoon to protect her as the wave of power went by them. When it was finally gone he opened his eyes slowly as they adjusted to the dark again. He stood as he looked for his father to make sure that he was all right.

Inutaisho slowly rose to his feet as he looked around the area. The demons they were fighting were gone as the remaining demons on the field were all in a daze. He noticed that all of the subduing necklaces were on the ground. They have all been removed from the demon slaves.

He was wondering how they all got the subduing necklaces off and where that blast of power had come from, when a sinking feeling settled in his stomach. He looked around frantically for his youngest son and couldn't find him.

He quickly turned to Sesshomaru and asked, "Have you seen your brother?"

Sesshomaru huffed as he said; "I haven't seen him for a while. He might be hiding somewhere afraid to fight in this battle."

Inutaisho became enraged as he growled at his eldest son and said, "You fool! That blast came from him. He just saved your lands and you think of him as weak!"

Sesshomaru took a step back from his father. He had never seen him this mad or worried before.

Inutaisho continued to look around the area when he spotted a low glow coming from a clearing. He quickly changed back into his normal form as he made his way towards that area. When he got there he saw his son and mate lying on the ground as he approached. His heart was racing with fear. Thinking that he had just lost his youngest son.

The light that surrounded the both of them was a barrier and as soon as he touched it, it disappeared. He reached for his son as he saw him gently breathing in and out. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that he was all right.

He turned his attention toward Kagome as he checked her and found that she too was asleep. The last thing he checked was the pup and its heartbeat was strong. He feed it some of his youkai to keep it strong as he sat on the ground.

He closed his eyes and bowed his head as he said, "Thank you Izayoi for protecting them. I thought that I had lost them there for a minute."

"Mate, I will always protect them, they are my heart." Said Izayoi as she stood in front of her mate and smiled. "Mate, you still have one more battle to fight and this one will be the worst of the three. You still have some time for the armies are not yet in place. You all must head north to fight or lose everything you have fought to protect."

Inutaisho eyes grew big as he said, "The fight is going to be worse than this one? How can they fight? They are already exhausted and I don't know if they will have enough strength to protect the Southern Lands."

"Don't underestimate them love. They are powerful and when they fight for someone they love, they gain new powers to help them. But take heed my husband, if they use the power of the jewel they will be left vulnerable to attacks. You must protect them and win the fight with the Northern Lands if you want to see them live in peace." His mate smiled once before she disappeared into the night.

Inutaisho knew that his mate would always be near their son to protect him. The fact that she had taken a liking to the girl warmed his heart. Kagome had also earned a place in his heart. He had grown to love her as a daughter and he would kill anyone that would do her harm.

Inutaisho heard a noise coming from behind him as he quickly stood in a fighting stance to protect his son.

Sesshomaru came out of the forest with his mate in his arms. She was unconscious as he asked, "Are they all right?"

Inutaisho nodded his head, "Yes, they're all right. They are just exhausted from using all of their energy in that blast that swept the area. They sent a wave of power through the area that destroyed all of the subduing necklaces on the demon slaves. With them no longer being under the humans control your soldiers should easily win this battle."

Inutaisho looked up to see Miroku coming towards him. He was in his full demon form as he smiled at him. He held Sango in his arms, as she too was unconscious. He turned to both of them and said, "Now that the battle here is over. We have to make plans to go to the boarders of the northern lands. We have to defeat them or we will lose everything.

Kagome can't teleport us to the area so we are going to have to travel on our own. My army should be catching up to King Higurashi and they will help protect them until we get there."

Miroku understood what was going on as he held his mate closer to him. He couldn't leave her behind in the Eastern Lands, not as long as she was unconscious. She had protected him and that was something he could never forget. His mate was strong and right now she was unconscious and needed his protection

Sesshomaru felt as his mate started to stir in his arms. He looked down to see her slowly opening her eyes. Jinx looked at her mate and said in a tired voice, "Sesshy, we have to go with them to fight in the Northern Lands. It's only fair that we help them since they came here and helped us win our battle." She fell unconscious again in her mate's arms.

Sesshomaru heard his mate's request. She had a point, his father, brother, and Kagome had come here to help him fight to keep his kingdom safe so he was honored bound to help them in their quest.

He looked over his shoulder as he summoned one of his minions. "Jakin!"

The frog like demon came running towards his lord as he bowed and said, "Yes my lord, how may I serve you?"

"Jakin, go find my commanders and instruct them to take all of the soldiers and head toward the boarder of the Northern Lands. They are to meet with the commander from the Western Lands that is helping King Higurashi in the fight. They are to leave enough soldiers here to protect the land until we return. We should arrive in that area sometime tomorrow after we have rested." Jakin bowed low as he turned quickly and left the area with the message from his lord.

Sesshomaru turned back to his father and said, "Father, we can all rest in the castle. We need to get some of our strength back before we move to the Northern Lands."

Inutaisho heard his son's words but he knew that they needed to get to the Northern Lands as soon as possible. He was not about to lose everything to those human. He made a promise to protect Kagome and her pup. But he also promised her that he would help her father defeat the threat to his kingdom.

"No we can't rest. We have to get to the Northern Territory and defeat the threat there then we can rest. I will take Kagome and Inuyasha with me and we will head north. You can follow if you wish." Inutaisho slowly turned around to look at this youngest son. His whole body ached from the battles he had fought today. He didn't know if he had enough energy to summon his transportation cloud to transport them.

Sesshomaru knew how stubborn his father could be. He saw how exhausted he was as he said, "Father don't be a fool. You can't travel in your present condition and if you do you might loose your strength and then hurt Inuyasha and his mate. Do you really want that!"

Inutaisho collapsed to his knees, his son was right. He was exhausted and he knew that he could not make it to the northern territories in his present condition. He needed to rest for a few hours to allow his body time to recover before they headed north.

"Very well Sesshomaru, we will rest for a few hours. Then we must leave to go north. I know that the battle there has not started yet because the forces are not in place. But once everyone is there then it will be an all out war. This battle will be even worse than the one we fought here tonight." Said Inutaisho as he finally sat down on the ground, clearly too tired to even stand.

Sesshomaru saw how tired his father was as he walked over to him and said, "Father, can you protect them while I go and lay Jinx down in our chambers. I will come back and help you move Kagome and Inuyasha. I don't want to stay out here for the night. It could still be dangerous and the castle could at least offer us some protection."

Sesshomaru waited for an answer from his father.

"That won't be necessary, I can move them on my own. Just lead the way to the castle and I will follow." Inutaisho had enough energy to summon his transportation cloud as it formed around them. He easily lifted the three of them on it as he headed toward the castle.

Sesshomaru shook his head in frustration. He knew his father could be stubborn but he was determined to protect his brother and mate. He led them all to a place within his castle that they all could rest.

He showed Miroku where he could rest with his mate as he showed his father where to put Kagome and Inuyasha. He told him that his room was across the hallway from them when he saw his father sit in a chair in the room and said, "No, I will stay here with them. Kagome is still in her true demon form and I don't know if she would ever change back. If she wakes up in a strange place she could attack anyone to protect her mate."

He saw his father fall asleep in the chair as he thought about what he had said, 'If Kagome is in her true demon form and won't change back could this happen to my mate? She is still a full demon and she has yet to change back to her normal form.'

He left his father alone in the room with his brother and mate. He would have to ask him about this when he awakens. He was worried that Jinx would not accept her new form. She still looked beautiful and now that she was a youkai it had awaken new feelings and desires for her. He would have to wait until his father woke up to ask him.

He walked back to his chambers as he placed Jinx in their bed. She was gorgeous in his eyes. He laid down next to her as he brought her into his embrace and finally fell asleep. They all needed to get their rest before the final fight to the north.

oOo

That is the end to this chapter. The final battle is heating up as they make a stand in the north. The group must travel there to defeat the Northern Lands. What will happen? Will they win the fight or will they lose everything they have worked so hard to gain? You have to wait to find out.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31: The Final Battle, The Battle in the Northern Lands.

King Higurashi was traveling to the Northern Lands with his army. They had left early that morning to see if they could stop the northern army from invading his territory. He had sent word back to Lord Inutaisho telling him of the impending attack from the north and that he was traveling to that area to see if he could defeat the enemy.

His heart ached as he traveled. He knew that this was going to be the fight that would decide everything. Whoever was the victor in this fight would decide the outcome of the demon slaves. It was for their freedom that he was fighting for and nothing else.

His daughter has taught him so many things. He was ashamed that he never really listened to her before. He had always been too busy to pay attention to her that she had grown these ideals and cared deeply for the way demons were treated.

Before he left to go to the battle he had set all of his slaves free. He told them all to get to safety and not to return to his lands if they fell to the might of the northern lands. To his surprise the slaves had refused to leave saying that they were home and that they would defend their homes and their mistress with their last dieing breath.

He had never been so deeply touched, that they wanted to stay and protect his home along with his wife. Now he knew why his daughter was the way she was. She cared deeply for everyone and wanted them to be happy. It had taken him a long time to finally realize this as his chest ached with the emotions he was feeling for his daughter.

They continued to travel throughout the day heading north. He was pushing his men hard because they had to get there to make sure that they could survey the area for its defense. They had stopped for the night to give his soldiers some much needed rest when he heard an alarm being sounded around the camp.

The entire area came to life as all of the soldiers took a fighting stance at the approaching threat. Then he heard one of his former demon slave say, "My Lord, their are demons approaching from the west."

King Higurashi heard what his former demon slave said and was surprised that there would be demons coming from the west. He had thought that they would be fighting the threat there.

He looked around the camp at the few demons that he had with him. He couldn't prevent a few of them from coming along. They said it was their duty to protect him and that they would be helpful in the fight. Now that they were there with him, he was glad that he had let them come along. They had been very helpful in finding the shortest path to the northern territory.

'Why would there be demons coming from the west? Could something had happen to my daughter and they were sending word back to me.' He waited impatiently for the demons to approach as he told his soldiers to stand down and let them pass.

The soldiers obeyed his orders and they stood down when they saw the demons coming from the west. There weren't very many of them, as their leader slowly came towards the king and bowed, and he said, "My Lord, Lord Inutaisho has sent us to aid you in your battle against the northern army. He says that once the threat has been defeated in his kingdom that he will come here and help you in this fight."

King Higurashi was in shock. "How many of you did Lord Inutaisho send?"

"My Lord, he sent one company of his best demon soldiers." Said the demon captain with pride in his soldier's abilities to fight.

King Higurashi smiled as he called for his commander and instructed him to brief the demon captain on the battle plans. He wanted them placed where they thought they would do the most good. He told them to work together to come up with a good strategy.

Both commanders bowed as they left the king so they could talk strategies on the upcoming battle.

The king felt exhausted. They have been traveling hard all day and they will reach the northern boarders by tomorrow. He hoped that they could defeat this threat and that everything will be all right in the end. He settled down to rest before they would leave in the morning for the impending battle.

Later on that night another alarm was sounded through the camp. More demon soldiers were approaching the group as they rested. When the commander from that group approached he reported to the king.

"My Lord, the battle in the Western Lands has been won and Lord Inutaisho has sent the remainder of his army to help you in your fight. They left right after the battle to go to the Eastern Lands to fight there. My soldiers are at your command ready to do your biding." Said the demon commander with pride.

King Higurashi was happy to hear that the fight for the Western Lands was finally done and that they had won the fight. But the news that they had gone to the Eastern Lands to fight worried him. He knew the demons were strong but even they get tired.

He looked at the commander in front him and said. "Your captain arrived here earlier this evening, he has been working with my commander on the battle plan. I will take you to them and you can join the discussion on how best we can defeat this threat."

The demon commander bowed as he followed him to where they others were located. When they got there the king introduced him and left them alone to do the planning. The demon commander that arrived was about the same rank as the human commander and he had a lot more knowledge on planning an attack than the captain. Together they formed a good battle plan that used all of their soldiers to their full potential.

They all decided to let the king sleep for a few more hours before they told him of their plans. In the mean time they set out to prepare their soldiers for the fight that was to happen.

oOo

Morning came and the commanders from both armies were briefing the king on the plan of attack. It was an elaborate plan with humans and demons fighting side by side to defend the Southern Lands, something that has never been done before.

He agreed to the plan with only a few minor changes to fill in some gaps in the defensive line. They all got ready to leave for the impending battle, as they would be arriving in the area sometime in the late morning hours.

The armies traveled fast as they finally reached their destination. They saw the northern armies already setting up for the attack as everyone quickly got into place to defend the southern lands.

The demon commander from the west was standing by the king's side when he turned to the east and sniffed the air. He caught the scent of more youkai coming from the east as he excused himself from the king side and went towards the approaching demons.

The Western Commander took a company of his soldiers with him until they found out who these demons were. They meet them a couple of miles away from the battle zone as the Commander from the Eastern Army approached the group and said, "We are the soldiers from the Eastern Lands. We were sent here to help you defend the Southern Lands from the north. Our lord and his party will be arriving here soon to join the battle."

The Western Commander was delighted to hear the news that they had defeated the threat in the Eastern Lands and congratulated the soldiers from there. He quickly told them of the plan and placed his soldiers where they could do the most damage once the battle got started. "We still don't know what kind of threat we are facing but we have planned for about everything we could think of."

The Eastern Commander thought for a few minutes and then called for two of his most trusted men. "I want you two to see if you can find out what kind of attack force they have on their side. I want to know the type of weapons they have also. Be careful and be quick. So we can plan for their attack."

The two soldiers standing in front of them quickly bowed as they left the area and headed toward the enemy territory.

The Commander from the Western Lands looked at his counterpart with a raised eyebrow as the Eastern Commander said, "Those two are the best spies we have. They can get into anything and they will not be seen. They possess the ability to conceal their bodies from view so they can penetrate the most secure areas. They will find out what their plans are and then report back to us."

The Western Commander smiled as he said, "That's good, now let me take you back to King Higurashi. We need to tell him about what has happened and tell him of the new plan of attack."

"You mean to tell me that the king has allowed you to come up with the battle plan?" asked a very shocked Eastern Commander.

The Western Commander smiled and said, "Yes, he let myself and his commander come up with the plan of attack. I know that he will not have a problem with this latest change."

The Eastern Commander got busy as he got his soldiers into place. Once he was done with that he went with the Commander from the Western Lands towards King Higurashi to inform him of the new battle plan.

When the commanders arrived they briefed the king on what had happen. The king was very pleased that the Eastern Lands have won their battles and now they were there to help him. He never knew that he would have this kind of support from the demons. He was very grateful and now held a bit of hope that they could all win this battle.

oOo

King Wada was pacing back and forth in his tent. He had agreed to help Naraku in this fight in return for all the demon slaves he could ever want. He had not heard from the man to see how the battle for the Western and Eastern Lands were going since late yesterday.

He was starting to get worried that something had gone horribly wrong and that this was a big mistake. But he had come too far to pull back and he had to teach the King of the Southern Lands a lesson. He should have let his daughter marry Hojo of the northern clan that way they would've had a stake in the southern territory.

But he had chosen to reject that offer and let that little tramp marry a demon instead, uniting the Western and Southern Lands. He couldn't have that. If he let them get away with that then the slavery everywhere will be abolished and a huge source of their income would go along with it. Slave trade was very a profitable business and they were not about to give it up that easy.

He stopped his nervous pacing as his commanders entered his tent and said, "We have all of our men in place. We are ready to commence the attack against the south."

King Wada smiled and said, "Good, it's about time that we teach that idiot king that he can not unite his kingdom with the demons kingdom. Are all of our weapons here? And are they in place?"

"Yes my Lord, our weapons are all in place. We have set them up on the highest points around here and pointed the guns toward the enemy. I'm sure that they are not expecting us to use them, but they will be very effective in killing the soldiers of the Southern Lands.

We have the demon slaves on the front lines to take the main assault against them. They are expendable and the larger one's are in the forest, just in case they have some demons with them that will fight on their side." Said his commander with pride.

"Yes, but we must continue to push the demon slaves into the battle with care. They are our main fighting force and if we lose them then they could win the fight." Said one of his other commanders with concern.

The king didn't pay any attention to what the other commander was saying. His mind was on the impending battle ahead.

"Good, now lets start this attack. Once we defeat the Southern Lands we can claim it for the north and the demons won't have anything to say about it." Said King Wada as he turned and went outside to join the fight that was about to commence.

The king looked out over the land in front of him, as he saw his army ready to attack. He was ready. Ready to take the Southern Lands away from that weak king that wanted to unite his kingdom with those damn demons.

He gave the order as the attack started. He saw his demon slaves move toward the enemy ready to attack. A big smile appeared on his face as he saw them leaving to go into battle. As long as they had the demon slaves he should be able to defeat the Southern armies.

oOo

The two demon soldiers that were sent to spy on the Northern armies had heard enough as they quickly made their way back to the southern lines. They had enough information to know how to defeat this threat. The only thing was that there would be a lot of demon slaves that would have to die in order for them to win this fight.

They quickly made it back to their commander as they reported what they had learned. They told him about the weapons that were located on the highest points around them and that they needed to take those weapons out if they even wanted a chance to win this fight.

King Higurashi was hearing what the demon soldiers were reporting and asked, "What kind of weapons do they have?"

The demons had to think back to what King Wada had said they were. "He never said what kind of weapons they were. He just said that you would never think he would use them in a fight."

King Higurashi had to think on what kind of weapons he could be using that normally wouldn't be used in a fight like this. There were a lot of them but where they placed the weapons was the key.

He looked at the surrounding area and thought. 'They couldn't bring in any of the big guns because they would never be able to get them up there into the hills. It must be something small and portable that can take out a large area.'

His eyes grew wide as he said, "We need to find those weapons and take them out. If we don't then we could all be defeated. The weapons are small and portable and they can take out a large area if fired."

The demon commander looked at the king and asked, "What kind of weapons are these?"

King Higurashi sighed as he said, "They're called the LAW which is a Light Antitank Weapon. It's small enough that a human can place it on their shoulder and fire it with precision at their enemy. They are mainly used to take out armored vehicles but they can be used to attack soldiers on the ground.

We are close enough for it to be effective and the blast would kill about 100 of us with no problem. The fact that he hasn't used them yet tells me that he doesn't have enough ammunition to fire the thing. So he is waiting for the right time to use it so he could get the most for his money. We have to find and kill whoever has those weapons before it can be used on us."

The demon commanders got busy as they got a group of demon soldier ready and briefed them on what their mission was going to be. The commanders gave them a starting point and told them to be careful. They had to be as quiet as possible so that the enemy didn't suspect that they were going after their weapons.

The demon soldiers understood their orders as they quickly left and went after the threat. Everyone was depending on them as they went deep into the enemy territory.

The soldiers were gone for only a few minutes when word came that the northern armies were moving forward to attack. They were also told that the front lines were all demons.

King Higurashi and the demon commanders looked at each other and then King said, "You don't think they are using the slaves as their main body to attack us?"

The Demon Commanders sniffed the air and said, "Yes they are. I can smell the fear in those demons. They don't want to fight but they are being forced into this battle."

"How can we kill innocent demons? It's not their fault that they were forced into this fight. I don't want to harm them in anyway but I also don't want to lose this battle." Said a very frustrated king.

The demon soldiers looked at the king with new admiration in their eyes. They never thought that they would ever hear those words coming from a human. No wonder their lords wanted to help him. He was not like the rest of the humans they have ever met. He was kind and he actually cared about the demon slaves.

The demon commander sent word to their soldiers that they were not to kill the demons attacking them. They were to incapacitate them to prevent them from fighting. If they could break the necklace from around their necks then they were to do so.

The soldiers all understood, both demon and humans alike. They got ready as the first wave of demons appeared and the battle started. This was going to be a very hard battle to win without hurting any of the demons that were attacking.

oOo

Inutaisho was the first to awaken. It had been five hours since they had finally won the battle with the invading forces there in the Eastern Lands. He stood and stretched his tired body. His body ached from having slept in a chair the whole time.

He walked over to his son to see how he was doing. He and his mate were still asleep, recovering from their ordeal from last night. He frowned when he saw that Kagome had not turned back to normal. She was still in her demon form and this worried him. He didn't know if she would attack when she awoke from her slumber. She was in a strange place and he feared for her safety.

He walked over to the window and looked at the horizon. The sun was about to come up. He felt well rested and wanted to go to the northern territories. He was stiff but other than that his wounds have been completely healed.

His body having received the needed rest quickly healed itself. He had a bad feeling that something was going to happen. That voice was back telling him that something was wrong.

He came to a decision as he left the room in search of his eldest son. He was leaving to go to the northern territory and he wanted to tell him before he left. He didn't want his son to worry incase he came looking for him.

When he opened the door he found that Mike and Shawn were sitting outside the door guarding it. They quickly stood on there feet when they heard someone coming out of the room. Inutaisho eyebrows furrowed together as he asked, "What are you two doing here?"

Shawn and Mike looked at each other and said, "We swore that we will protect them so we stood guard here all night to make sure that they weren't disturbed."

"All right, I want you two to stay with them while I'm gone. I have to find Sesshomaru and tell him that we are leaving." Mike and Shawn walked into the room to stand guard over Kagome and Inuyasha while they slept.

Inutaisho sniffed the air as he caught his son's scent. He turned down the hallway as he made his way towards his son room. He got to the place he thought his son was in as he knocked on the door and waited for an answer.

oOo

Sesshomaru had only rested for a few hours. He had not been able to sleep because he was worried about his mate. She had not returned to her normal form and this worried him. He didn't know if this was permanent or if she would change back. Then he worried that if this transformation was permanent would she accept her new form.

He was standing on the balcony as he heard a gentle knock on his door. He turned and entered his room as he said, "Come In." He had caught his father's scent before he had even entered his chambers.

Inutaisho heard his son say "Come In" and he opened the door. He saw him standing by the balcony door as he approached. He saw the concerned look in his eyes as he said, "What's wrong Sesshomaru? Why are you so upset?"

Sesshomaru looked at his father and said, "Father, is Jinx transformation permanent? I haven't been able to find anything in my books about human transformation after a mating."

Inutaisho looked at his son and then he turned his attention to his mate. He saw that Jinx was also in her true demon form just like Kagome. He was wondering if the same thing had happened to Sango. The last time he had seen her she was in her full demon form.

He turned back to his son and said, "I don't know if it will become permanent. From what I have read and what I know some human females never change into a youkai, but there have been stories where the transformation has become permanent. The longer they stay in this form the harder it is for them to turn back. It will be up to you to calm her when she does wake up. If you can't and she doesn't return back, then the transformation will be permanent."

Sesshomaru's eyes grew worried, "I don't know if she would accept being a demon. I've known her for two years and I have never asked her that question. When I didn't see her change because of her anger I thought that she would never become a demon but something must have happened to make her change."

"Not all transformations happen when a mate gets angry, Sesshomaru. It depends on which one of her emotions is the strongest to release the demon blood you gave her. Kagome's transformations happen when she is angered because her other emotions are too pure to allow the demon blood in her to take over. She loses control of her blood when she is angered." Said Inutaisho as he watched his eldest son with concern. He knew that he was worried about his mate.

"I came here to tell you that I'm leaving for the Northern Territories. I didn't want you to worry about us if you found us gone. I have a bad feeling that something is going to happen and we have to get there as soon as possible." Inutaisho said with concern in his voice.

Sesshomaru turned back to his father as he said, "I'm coming with you. I'm not going to let you walk into danger without some help. Jinx requested that we go with you and I will honor that request."

"But what are you going to do with your mate? You can't leave her here unprotected." Asked his father.

"I'm taking her with me. I will not leave her here by herself. I will meet you in your room in a few minutes. I want to leave some instructions for the commander that is staying behind to defend the castle while we're gone."

Sesshomaru was about to leave the room when his father stopped him by grabbing him by his arm. "Sesshomaru, you don't have to come with me. I know that she requested that you come with us but you don't have too. I will take Inuyasha and Kagome with me. You stay here and be with your mate," said his father in a nice low gentle voice.

Sesshomaru had never heard his father speak this way before. He was a powerful ruler and for him to show concern surprised him. He lowered his head as he said, "Yes, I know that I don't have to go with you, but I am. I am honored bound to help you and there is nothing you could do to change my mind."

Inutaisho released his son's arm as he made his way towards the door to go and speak to his commander. Inutaisho looked on, he knew that he would never be able to change his son's mind. He had raised them well. He had instilled in both his son's that their honor and their word were the only things in this world that a true demon possessed. Without them keeping their word, then they will have nothing, for a demon's word is his bond of trust and honor.

He was about to leave his son's chambers when he heard Jinx moan. He turned and walked over to where she was lying in the bed. He looked at her with concern in his eyes as he sat on the bed waiting for her to awaken.

Jinx was slowly starting to wake up from her ordeal. Her head was pounding as she slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry but as the time passed she started to see clearly again. She had the feeling that someone was watching her as she slowly turned her head to find Sesshomaru's father sitting right next to her.

She quickly became alarmed as she sat up and said, "Has something happened to Sesshy? Where is he? Is he alright?"

The rush of questions that Inutaisho received from her shocked him. He never knew that she could speak so fast. He put his hands on her shoulders and as he gently laid her back down on the bed and said, "Sesshomaru is fine. He's worried about you. He has not rested since we defeated the intruders."

"Why would he be worried about me?" asked a very confused Jinx.

Inutaisho sighed as he asked, "What do you remember?"

Jinx furrowed her eyebrows together as she tried to think. "I remember him getting hit and going down for a second time. I remember being in pain. I also remember using the sword you gave me to help protect him and fighting along side him. There was an explosion that blinded me and then I can't remember anything else."

Inutaisho was surprised. The girl remembered everything that happened while she was in her demon form and in her human form. She was still in her demon form, she was calm, and she wasn't attacking. This pleased him in some ways but it concerned him in others.

He got up to leave and then he said, "I want you to rest. Sesshomaru should be returning shortly."

Jinx made to protest that he never answered her question but he was already making his way out the door.

Jinx came to a decision, she was going to go and find her mate. She was worried about him and she was going to find him. She slowly sat up as the world started to spin around her. She sat on the bed trying to make it stop as she was breathing deeply to calm herself. After a while when everything stopped spinning and she opened her eyes.

She was panting hard from the effort it took just to sit up. She couldn't understand why she was feeling so weak. Her whole body ached as she swung her legs down to the edge of the bed getting ready to stand up. She knew that once she made it to her feet that she should be able to walk to find her mate. She was about to get up when her mate walked into the room.

oOo

Sesshomaru was walking back to his room to get his mate when he met his father in the hallway. He had told him that his mate was awake and she was looking for him. He quickly made his way towards his room as he opened the door and stepped inside.

He saw his mate about to get out of bed as he said, "Jinx! What are you trying to do? You need your rest."

Jinx looked up to see her mate coming into the room. "Sesshy!" Her heart leaped with joy at seeing her mate again.

Sesshomaru quickly made his way towards her as he brought her into an embrace and held her close to him. It felt good to have her in his arms. He pulled away from her so he could look into her beautiful red eyes. Red did suit her; she was gorgeous in his eyes.

He had to ask her, he had to know if she would have a problem with being a demon forever. "Jinx, do you know what happened to you yesterday?"

Jinx shook her head. "No, all I remember is going to your aid when you went down and feeling stronger for some reason."

Sesshomaru got up from the bed as he went to the dresser and retrieved a hand held mirror. He approached his mate with caution as he handed the mirror to her. He was carefully looking at her features, to see what her reaction would be to see that she was a demon.

Jinx looked at her mate with concern. When he handed her the mirror she took it and looked into his eyes. He was worried about something as she lifted the mirror and looked at herself.

Jinx's eyes grew big when she saw what she looked like. She almost looked like her mate but with a few minor changes. She was breathing hard as she put the mirror down and thought, 'I look like Sesshy. Does this mean that I'm a demon now?'

Jinx looked up at her mate and asked, "Sesshy, am I a demon now?"

Sesshomaru didn't know how to answer her question. She was clearly upset by the expression on her face and her scent reeked of fear. He sat back down on the bed as he said, "Jinx, yesterday you turned into a demon to come and help me. I don't know if this is permanent. My father said that the longer you stay in this form there is the distinct possibility that you will remain this way."

Jinx heard her mates answer to her question. She always loved the way he looked and now that she was a demon she didn't know how she felt. She looked at her hand and for the first time she noticed that she had claws just like her mate. Her eyes were red; her hair was silver with a hint of blue. She had one stripe on the side of her cheek and she ears were like her mate.

Sesshomaru was becoming concern over his mate's lack of speech. She has always been very vocal and now she was being very quiet. He reached out to touch her and he was relieved when she didn't pull away from him. He stroked his fingers along her cheeks as he saw her close her eyes. She leaned into his touch as she was seeking comfort from him. He brought her closer to him as he held her in his arms.

Jinx wrapped her arms around her mate as she finally felt at ease that he wasn't mad at her for turning into a demon. Her biggest fear was that he wouldn't want her anymore. She nuzzled her mate under his chin as she said, "Sesshy? Are you mad because I turned into a demon and might not be able to turn back?"

Sesshomaru was surprised by her question as he pulled her away from him and said, "I will never be mad at you for that. I feel responsible for you being this way. Are you upset that you might never be able to turn back into a human?"

Jinx smiled, as she said, "No, I kind've like this new look, I feel stronger in this form but why am I so weak at the moment?"

Sesshomaru breathed a sigh a relief she had accepted that if she didn't return back into her human form that she would accept her new demon form. "You might be weak because you have never fought in this form before. You were fighting none stop for about three hours last night until Kagome and Inuyasha ended the battle."

Jinx nuzzled her mate again as she said, "If we're going to the Northern Lands then we better get moving. We don't want to let the Southern Lands fall, if they do then we stand to lose everything."

His mate had a point as he reached for her and gently picked her up in his arms. He made his way out of their room as he headed towards where his father was located with his brother and mate.

oOo

Inutaisho finally made it back as he entered the room were his son was located. He noticed that Mike was standing by the door and Shawn was located by the window keeping watch on what was going on outside.

"Have they awaken yet?" he asked with concern.

Shawn was the first to speak, "No my Lord, they haven't stirred since you left."

Inutaisho sighed deeply as he said, "Mike, do you know which room Miroku is in?"

"Yes my Lord." He answered.

"I want you to go and get him we are leaving to go north." Said Inutaisho as he watched his son gentle breathing.

Mike hurried out of the room to go find Miroku. He was about to knock on the door when the door opened and Miroku came out with an Ou youkai in his arms.

Mike looked at the demon and said, "Wow, she's beautiful, who is she?"

Miroku started to growl as he said; "This is my mate." He quickly made his way out of the room he was in and went toward Inutaisho.

He entered the room were his lord was located with his mate in his arms. He had some questions for him. His mate had not returned to normal and he knew that she would have issues with being a demon because of her past. He had to find a way to return her to normal.

Inutaisho saw when Miroku entered the room with his mate in his arms. He saw the look in his eyes and knew he had some questions for him. But before Miroku could speak he said, "I know that you have some questions for me but they will have to wait. I want to leave for the Northern Territories as soon as possible. Once we start traveling then I will answer all of your questions."

Miroku nodded his understanding of what he had said. He would wait until they were on their way to the Northern Territories before he would ask his questions.

Shawn came over to the bed and picked Kagome up in his arms as his Lord picked up his son and cradled him against his chest. He heard Inuyasha growl as his father started to purr and he calmed down. Shawn breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't want to get attacked for holding his mate. They all headed for the door, as they were ready to leave to go to the Northern Lands.

When Mike opened the door Sesshomaru was standing there with his mate in his arms. He looked at his father and said, "Jinx has accepted her fate."

Inutaisho smiled at his son as he walked past him to leave his castle. Everyone followed him outside as they all walked in silence. Once the group was outside Inutaisho summoned his transportation cloud. To his surprise Sesshomaru had done the same thing too.

He smiled at his son when he showed some of his abilities. Inuyasha had never been able to summon the cloud no matter how much he had taught him on how to do it.

Inutaisho turned to his group and said, "Shawn, Mike I want you two to go with Sesshomaru. Miroku you stay with me and we can talk on the way." They all split up as Shawn laid Kagome down on the cloud and Inutaisho put his son next to her. Inuyasha settled down once he knew his mate was next to him.

He saw his son turned towards his mate as he pulled her into his embrace. His eyes opened wide when he saw a blue aura covering them as they slept. 'This must be some sort of healing aura he is using to heal both their injuries faster. He knows that we are heading into battle and he wants to heal his mate.' He thought as he watched with interest.

The transportation clouds took off as Inutaisho was in the lead and heading toward the Northern Lands. He just hoped that they could get there in time to defeat the northern armies.

As they traveled Inutaisho told Miroku the same thing he had told Sesshomaru. He saw the sadness in Miroku's eyes as he looked at his mate. Miroku knew that she would have issues because she was a demon now. He had explained to him her past and that she had every right to be scared. He just hoped that the love they felt for each other was enough to over come these obstacles.

About an hour after they had left Sango started to move in Miroku's arms. As she was slowly waking up the look of concern grew heavier in Miroku's eyes.

Sango slowly started to come out of her sleep. Her mind was racing with what had happened as her eyes quickly shot open and she tried to sit up looking for her mate. What she didn't expect was the pair of strong arms that were holding her when she tried to move.

Miroku seeing that his mate had fully awaken held onto her to make sure she didn't hurt herself.

Sango looked up to see her mate holding her in his embrace. She was so happy to see him that she wrapped her arms around his neck and started to cry. "Miroku, I thought that I had lost you in that fight. When I saw you get hit I thought that they had killed you."

Miroku wrapped his arms around her slender form as he held her in his arms. He pulled his mate away from him as he looked into those gorgeous golden/orange eyes. She was beautiful and his heart was filled with joy. He was not the only one of his kind anymore. She was just like him. His eyes sadden as he thought that she might not want to be a demon like him.

Sango saw the sadness in her mate's eyes. She knew something was wrong as she said, "Miroku? What's wrong? Has something happened?"

Miroku didn't know how to tell her that she was a demon. His heart was broken as he tried to find the words to tell her what had happened.

Sango reached up with her hand to touch Miroku when she noticed that she had claws on her hands. Her eyes went wide as she saw this. She saw bits of her hair and noticed that it was a flaming red. She looked at her mate and asked, "Miroku? What happened to me?"

Miroku didn't know how to explain what had happened to her, he was at a lost for words.

Inutaisho had been listening the whole time and saw the difficulties that Miroku was having in trying to explain what had happened to his mate. So he tried to help him, "Sango"

Sango turned towards Inutaisho as he continued, "Do you remember what happened yesterday?"

Sango had to think as she started to remember everything that happened to her. She remembered turning into a full demon and not being afraid. She turned to her mate and said, "Miroku, don't you like the way I look?"

Miroku head shot up as he looked at his mate. She was the most beautiful creature he had every seen. "I love the way you look but I was afraid that you might not want to be a demon. We don't know if this change is permanent yet."

Sango smiled and said, "I don't mind being a demon as long as I'm with you." She nuzzled her mate under his chin as he breathed a sigh of relief. She accepted her fate and this pleased him.

Sango took her wings and wrapped them around her and Miroku as she reached up and kissed her mate.

Miroku was in pure heaven as he held her closer to him and deepened the kiss. She wanted to be with him and that's all he wanted.

The group continued to travel toward the Northern Lands. Inutaisho could tell that they were getting close. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing up, telling him that danger was near. He looked down at his son and they were still out of it. He didn't know what he was going to do with them if they didn't wake up before they reached the battle.

Inutaisho kept his eyes trained in front of him trying to find out if he could detect were the final battle would be fought. They heard a blast coming from the left side as they all turned in that direction, to the place where the final battle was being fought.

Miroku and Sango heard the blast as they both stood up looking in that direction. Miroku eyed his mate and then he said, "My Lord, Sango and I will fly on ahead so we can see how the battle is going. I will make an assessment of the situation and then report back here."

Inutaisho inclined his head in understanding, as Miroku looked at his mate and said, "Are you ready for this Sango?"

Sango smiled as she said, "I'm ready, mate."

They spread their wings and took off at a fast pace to where the fight was being fought. The only thing that you could see was a big ball of fire that was flying toward the battle.

Inutaisho heard a moan as he turned toward his son. 'He must feel the impending danger and is starting to wake up.'

Inuyasha was slowly starting to wake up. His head hurt as he opened his eyes and let them get adjusted to the morning sun. When his eyes finally focused he saw two golden ones looking at him with concern.

Inuyasha started to move and looked to see that his mate was in his arms. He slowly released her as she moaned but remained asleep on the cloud. He sat up as he took a deep breath to fill his lungs. His ears turned towards the battle as he focused on what was happening. "Do we know how the battle is going?" Inuyasha asked in a tired voice.

"No, we just got within distance of the fighting, Miroku and Sango went to investigate. We should be arriving there in a little while. Why don't you lay down and rest, you're going to need it." Said his father as he looked at his tired son.

Inuyasha knew that his father was right he was exhausted from giving up all of his energy during the last fight and he still hadn't recovered fully. But his need to protect his mate fueled his resolve as he stayed up and looked at his mate.

Kagome looked tired. She was pale as she tried to regain some of her strength back. It was going to take everything they had to defeat the northern army. He knew that they were using slaves to fight in their battle. He looked at his father and said, "Dad, you know that they're using demon slaves to fight in this battle."

Inutaisho eyes grew wide at his statement. "How do you know that?" he asked with concern.

Inuyasha sighed as he explained. "They used them when we fought in the Eastern Lands so it would only make sense that they would use them here in the Northern Lands to fight. The only thing is I don't know how Kagome's father is going to handle that situation. I know he can't let them win the fight but I can't see him killing innocent demons either."

"My father will not kill innocent demons. He will find a way to fight them and not hurt them. We on the other hand have to break all of the subduing necklaces around their necks. When we do that then the fight will turn in our favor." Said Kagome as she sat up with her head down. She was still tired but when she heard that her mate was talking she started to wakeup from her slumber.

"I don't know how were going to do that. We're still tired from the last time we broke all of those necklaces. You haven't regain your strength and neither have I." Said a tired Inuyasha.

Kagome nodded her head in agreement. She didn't know how they were going to do it. She rested her head on her mates shoulder as she closed her eyes and tried to rest.

Inuyasha felt his mate cuddle against him as he put his arm around her to keep her close. He knew that she was tired and he was too, but they had to find a way to fight in this battle and win.

oOo

The soldiers that were sent to find the weapons were traveling as fast as possible. They needed to find where they were located so they could destroy them. They were approaching the first location as they moved in with stealth.

They came upon three humans and they had something that look like a long tube sitting on one of the humans shoulder. The demons came to the conclusion that this was the weapon that the Southern King was talking about. It was small and compact and was easily carried.

They jumped into the trees as they made their way towards them. When they were just above their target they jumped, killing all three humans quickly without making any noise. They picked up the weapon as they looked at it. They had no idea on how to work it but they weren't going to leave it for someone else to use against them. They took everything they found and then took off for the next location.

As they were running through the forest they heard the attack starting down below. They had to hurry if they wanted to get all of the weapons before they used them.

They quickly made their way from one high point to another as they killed the humans they found there and took their weapons with them. They were on the last hill when they saw one of the human lift the weapon onto his shoulder. He took aim and fired at the heart of the soldiers that were fighting down below.

Their eyes grew wide as they thought that they had failed in their mission. Then they saw as the projectile was destroyed over the land away from its intended target. They quickly jumped and killed the humans before they had a chance to reload the weapon. Killing them with one swipe of their claws. They took everything as they went back to their commander after they made a sweep of the area to make sure they had them all.

oOo

King Higurashi was in the thick of battle. The demon slaves just kept coming towards them. They tried everything within their power to make sure that they didn't hurt them too bad. They only wanted to incapacitate them and get them out of the way. He knew that they would heal quickly once the necklaces were off their necks.

The demon soldiers that were sent from the Western and Eastern Lands were fighting with everything they had. They were proving themselves to be great soldiers. His soldiers were following their orders without even hesitating. They were great leaders and he was pleased that they came to help him in this fight.

The demon slaves that were attacking had not been able to push back his first line of defense. This was good because it meant that they were holding their own against the fight. They heard a thunderous roar coming from the forest in front of them as the demon commanders looked at each other with concern in their eyes. If those creatures were as big as they thought then they were in big trouble. They could hold them off but it would be next to impossible without more soldiers or demons their size.

They saw five giant demons coming out of the forest in front of them as their masters urged them on. They were slow but they were very strong as they approached the battle.

The demon commanders didn't know what to do when they heard a howl coming from behind them. They all turned around to see what it could be and got the surprise of their lives. Their lords had made it to the battle and they were about to join the fight.

oOo

Inutaisho and his group were approaching the battle. They could hear as the explosions were going off in the near distance.

Sango and Miroku had made it back to them and said, "My Lord, they have demons attacking the front lines of the Southern Armies. Your army along with Sesshomaru are there helping them defend the area. They are using demon slaves and they are trying their best not to hurt them as they fight. They are incapacitating them to prevent them from fighting and getting them out of harms way. But I'm afraid all that is about to change. I spotted five giant demons making their way towards the battle."

Inutaisho heard the report and they had no choice, they landed as close to the battle as possible. Inuyasha and Kagome were sitting on the ground as they tried to regain some of their strength so they could fight.

Inutaisho knew that they wouldn't be able to fight as he turned to the rest of the group and said, "We know that they are using demon slaves in this fight so make sure that we don't hurt them too much.

Sesshomaru and I will go after the larger demons. Mike, Shawn, Miroku, and Sango see if you can help the southern army. You need to push them back away from the front lines. We have to give Kagome and Inuyasha enough time to recover from their last ordeal before we win this fight." Everyone agreed to the plan as Inutaisho walked over to his son.

"Inuyasha I want you and your mate to stay here and rest. You're no good to us if you get hurt before you break the necklaces. We will hold them off until you are ready then we can end this fight." Said Inutaisho as he looked at his son.

Inuyasha was having a hard time dealing with the situation. He was a fighter but right now he didn't even have the energy to argue with his father. So he laid his head back as he pulled Kagome closer to him. He would protect her until they had enough energy to break the necklaces.

Inutaisho and the rest of the group left the area as they went towards the battle. They saw the giant demons come out of the forest as they made their way toward their soldiers.

Inutaisho and Sesshomaru both started to transform into their true demon forms as Inutaisho gave a howl into the sky. Sesshomaru did the same as they were telling their soldiers that they were on their way to the battle and that they would take care of the large demons.

Sesshomaru lowered his head as he allowed his mate to get on top and together they all rushed into the battle. They came upon the battle scene and saw that the Southern armies were holding their own against the north. They saw the giant demons break free from the thick forest as they made their way toward the front line.

Inutaisho and Sesshomaru came out of the forest as they walked up to the lines. They heard the cheers of the humans and demons down below them as they came into the fight. They stood side by side as they gauged the enemy.

Inutaisho saw no subduing necklaces on them as he said to his son, "Sesshomaru they are not being controlled by necklaces. If they attack then we will have to take them down."

Sesshomaru nodded his head in agreement as he stood by his father side waiting to see what would happen.

King Higurashi saw as the giant dogs came out of the forest as they stood side by side. He was amazed at their size and wondered who they were. They looked almost alike but one was bigger than the other. He turned towards the demon commander and asked, "Who is that?"

The demon commander from the Western Lands looked at him and said, "The bigger of the two is Lord Inutaisho and the smaller one must be his son Sesshomaru."

"I never knew that they could turn into giant dogs." Said King Higurashi with surprise in his voice.

"This is their true demon form. They take an almost human form so that they don't appear threatening to people." Said the demon commander with pride.

The giant dogs moved forward as they confronted the giant demons. They stood their ground when they attacked. Inutaisho went to the right as Sesshomaru and Jinx went to the left. They each took the lead demon that was attacking and the battle was on.

King Higurashi saw the giant dogs battling in the field in front of him. They were ruthless in their attacks as they attacked without mercy. They were holding their own against them but he knew it would be only a matter of time before they tired and then they would be in trouble.

Something bothered him though, if they were here in the Northern Lands fighting where was his daughter and her husband. He knew that the demon lord never left them very far behind. He just hoped that they were safe as the battle continued to rage on.

oOo

Kagome started to stir after a little while. She slowly opened her eyes and found that she was resting under a tree with her mate holding on to her. She started to sit up and that earned her a growl of displeasure from her mate.

Inuyasha felt as his mate woke up. He was hoping that she would rest a little longer before they rushed into battle. He sat up as he looked at his mate and asked, "Kagome, are you alright?"

Kagome smiled as she leaned into his shoulder and said, "Yes, I'm fine. I'm still tired but we have to go. I feel that something big is about to happen and we need to be there."

Inuyasha understood her concerns as he stood and brought her with him. His entire body ached as he moved. He hadn't hurt this bad in a long time. Together they started to head toward the battle, as they got ready to finish this fight.

They started to move slowly at first and once they got their movement back they started to go faster as they traveled to be with the others. When they made it to the battle they saw Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's father battling against the giant demons.

Kagome looked at them and said to her mate, "Inuyasha, they're not wearing subduing necklaces so they are willingly attacking, we must help your father."

They both took off as they raced through the front lines of the Southern armies. They both jumped into the air as Inuyasha yelled, "BACK LASH WAVE!." And released his sword ultimate attack as Kagome swung her sword and added the power of her purifying beam to it.

Inuyasha yelled for his father and brother to get out of the way as they jumped in time to avoid the blast that caught the demons head on. They screamed in agony as they were destroyed by the combined power of their swords.

oOo

King Wada had been watching the battle progress beautifully. They were starting to wear down the enemy when he called for the giant demons to attack.

He thought that he had the upper hand in the fight because they didn't have any demons that could fight the one's he had on his side. They didn't need to put subduing necklaces on the giant demons. They hated the Western and Eastern Lands so much that they were willing to fight to get rid of them.

His eyes grew wide when he saw a pair of giant dogs coming into the fight as they stood in front of the lines defending it. He ordered his demons to attack as he saw the battle playing out in front of him. He thought that they were winning when he saw two demons come from behind the line to join the fight. They released an attack that was the most powerful attack he had ever seen.

The two giant dogs leaped out of the way as the blast finished off his giant demons. He was pissed at losing such a strong force. He turned to his commander and said, "Have the snipers fire their weapons into the heart of the fighting force. They are to make each hit count."

The commander understood as he quickly got on the radio and relayed the message to his soldiers. He got only one confirmation back as he looked at his king and said, "My Lord, I can't reach the rest of the men that are on the hills. I have only been able to get in contact with only one group. The rest are not responding to the communications."

King Wada eyes grew big as he heard what was said. 'Damn they must've gotten to my soldiers and killed them.' "Have the group that answered quickly fire their weapons. I want to cause as much damage as possible. If they can take down those two giant dogs that would be great."

His commander relayed the message, as his soldiers got ready to fire.

oOo

Kagome and Inuyasha landed on the ground panting hard from having to use too much of their energy to release the power of their swords. Kagome was next to him as she looked off to the right and caught something in her eye. She quickly stood on her feet as Inuyasha did the same.

At that moment a loud noises was heard as they fired their weapons at them.

Both Inuyasha and Kagome became enraged as Inuyasha transformed into his demon form. They stood side by side as they raised their arms up and concentrated. They released a blast of their miko powers and sent it toward the projectile as it met it in the air. It exploded away from everyone, not causing any damage.

They collapsed again panting. It was taking everything they had to fight and they were slowly getting weaker.

Inutaisho seeing that his son was on the ground quickly made his way over to them to make sure that they were all right. He lowered his head and sniffed as his son looked up at him. He reached down with his tongue and grabbed them both as he raised his head and placed them on his back, so he could watch them. They both just laid there exhausted, as Sesshomaru came towards his father and asked, "Are they all right?"

"Yes, for the moment. But they have used too much of their energy. I'm afraid that if they continue to fight, I could lose them both." He said with concern in his voice.

They heard an explosion as they turned their heads and found that the demons slaves were attacking again. They didn't know what to do. They didn't want to hurt them but they had yet to win this fight.

Kagome and Inuyasha were lying on top of Inutaisho back as they heard the blast. They slowly sat up as they surveyed what was going on. They saw the demon slaves advancing as the rest of the southern army got ready to attack.

Kagome was sitting up with her mate and said in a tired voice, "Inuyasha we have to stop this. Innocent people and demons are going to die unless we do. This fighting has to stop." When Kagome finished speaking she was beginning to cry. Her heart ached that she couldn't help all of those demons that were being sent to their death.

She reached up with her hand as she touched the jewel around her neck. She held it in her fist as she started to concentrate on its power.

Inuyasha saw what his mate was trying to do as he reached for her and held her in his arms. The love he felt for her was starting to create a barrier around the two. He reached up with his hand and placed it around his mate's fist as he added his power to the jewel.

They were feeding the jewel with their hearts as only a pure heart could use the power of the jewel. As there love grew so did the power of the jewel as it grew in size. They were both encircled in its light as it started to get bigger.

The golden ball that surrounded them lifted them up from his father's back as they started to float away toward the middle of the battle zone.

Inutaisho seeing what his son and mate were trying to do yelled, "No! Don't use the jewel!"

He tried to follow them as a barrier stopped him from approaching. The barrier would protect them from what was about to happen as Kagome and Inuyasha released the power of the jewel.

The golden ball exploded with such force that it blinded everyone in the area. Then a wave of pulsating power came forth as it destroyed all of the subduing necklaces in the area and all over the land.

The power was spreading rapidly toward the four kingdoms effectively destroying all necklaces in existence. No longer would they be able to use the necklace against the demons. The knowledge on how to make them was destroyed along with it.

As the pulse spread across the land it healed anyone hurt in the battle. It also killed any demons that had malice in their hearts towards humans. The pulse continued to go across the land until it had done its job.

When the light finally faded Inutaisho opened his eyes to look for his son and mate. He saw them floating in the air, when the golden ball disappeared they both fell back to the earth. He rushed forward as he reached them before they hit the ground and caught them with his nice soft tail that didn't injure them.

He brought his tail around so he could see them as he saw the gentle rise of their chest and breathed a sigh of relief. They were alive and still with him in this world. He placed them on his back as his hairs came around them and encircled their body to protect them.

Inutaisho surveyed the area and saw that all of the demon slaves were finally freed of the necklace. The human soldiers tried to get them to attack but instead of the demons slaves attacking the southern army, the slaves turned on their masters and attacked them instead.

oOo

King Wada saw as the bright flash of light come over the area and then the pulse of power that followed. When it was over he saw all of his demon slaves were standing around not attacking. He ordered them to attack as they turned on their masters and started attacking them instead. The southern army had broken all of the subduing necklaces in the area as he called a hasty retreat.

They needed to get away from the area before they were all killed.

oOo

Sango and Miroku had been helping the Southern army push back the attacking force. They would fly up into the air and flap their wings as the force of the winds they were creating moved the demons further back away from the southern line.

Miroku noticed that Inuyasha and Kagome were about to use the jewel that she had around her neck. He knew that they were trying to destroy all of the necklaces in the area.

He grabbed his mate as they flew into the sky and watched as the bright light engulfed the area. Then they felt the pulse of power as it went across the land and destroyed all of the necklaces throughout the land. They saw as the pulse healed the wounded and then destroy the ones that held malice in their hearts. The joy they felt at seeing the evil demons and humans defeated caused their fire to become more powerful.

Their powers had a mind of their own when it started to surround them and formed a giant bird of fire in the sky.

Sango looked at her mate and said, "Miroku, what's happening? Why are we creating a giant bird of fire?"

Miroku stopped and thought for a few minutes then he said, "Legends say that when a fire bird appears in the sky it's the start of a new era. This must mean that the blessing was given for Kagome and Inuyasha to rule the kingdoms in peace. That there's no more slavery and the demons are now be able to roam the land as free demons."

Sango had a surprised look in her eyes as she said, "Now what do we do?"

"We must leave. We can't stay here any longer. Our kind is only seen once every thousands years and its time for us to leave. We will go back to the Western Lands and await his lords return." Said Miroku as he looked at his mate. Together they left the area as everyone down below looked on.

oOo

The Northern armies were pulling back as the Southern army pressed their advantage in the fight. But before the Northern army could leave the area there was a big flash of light in the sky as they all stopped and looked up.

What they saw made their jaws drop wide open. They have not see this type of demons in centuries and it is said that when they appear it is to mark the beginning of a new era. The appearance of the Ho and Oo youkai marked this as the end of slavery and the beginning of peace for the area.

The firebird they saw up in the sky, with its wings spread, was that symbol. The giant bird flew off into the horizon as it disappeared from sight. Not to be seen for another 1000 years.

With the demon slaves freed, the southern armies made quick work in capturing the king of the Northern Lands. They brought him towards King Higurashi as he was struggling in the soldiers grasp.

They saw the giant dogs come towards them as the King of the Northern Lands coward in fear. They looked much more menacing up close than he thought.

The dogs slowly transformed back into their normal forms as Sesshomaru and his mate approached his father with care. He was being very protective of his brother and mate at the moment and they didn't want him to attack.

Inutaisho slowly transformed back into his normal form as he was panting from the effort. He slowly lowered his son and mate to the ground as he looked at them. They were exhausted but they were alive, and for this he was thankful.

Sesshomaru, Jinx, Mike, and Shawn slowly came towards him as he looked up into their tired faces. He slowly stood on his shaky legs as Sesshomaru rushed forward to steady him. He offered his thanks as he said to Mike and Shawn; "I want you two to protect them until I return. I have to go deal with a certain king from the Northern Lands."

The pair of demons moved closer to the sleeping couple as they stood guard next to them. As they were walking away Sesshomaru called for his commander and told him to send some soldiers to protect his brother. His commander quickly sent a company of his most trusted soldiers to form a protective wall around the two that were on the ground to protect them. They won't let anyone get anywhere near them.

Inutaisho, Sesshomaru, and Jinx went towards the group of humans as they finally meet the King of the Northern Lands.

King Higurashi greeted the demon lord as Inutaisho said, "King Higurashi, I would like to introduce you to my son Lord Sesshomaru, Lord of the Eastern Lands and his mate Jinx." The king inclined his head towards them in greeting as they all turned to the King of the Northern Lands.

"Your subduing necklaces have all been destroyed along with the secret on how to make them. Slavery as you know it has ended. The demons are now free to leave or stay, it's their choice on what they want to do." Said Lord Inutaisho in a tired voice.

The King of the Northern Lands looked at the demon in front of him and said, "What makes you think that we would give up our slaves so easily? It is our best source of income and we will not give it up."

Lord Inutaisho was beginning to growl as he said, "because if you don't agree to the terms of surrender I won't have any regrets in killing you with my bare claws."

King Wada quickly backed down as he saw the anger in the demon lord's eyes. They were starting to turn red from the anger he was feeling and he didn't want to get killed at the moment.

King Higurashi stepped forward and gave him the terms of surrender:

"1. You are to get rid of all of your processing facilities in your kingdom.

2. You are to release all of the demons that are enslaved and set them free.

3. Once this is done your armies are to be disbanded, you will not have any need for them.

4. We will send a council to your kingdom to make sure that everything is carried out according to the terms of surrender. If you fail to carry out any of these terms we will take the Northern Lands for ourselves and divide it up between our three kingdoms."

King Wada lowered his head in defeat. He knew that he had lost everything and now he had to pay the price. He agreed to the terms as the terms for surrender were drawn up and signed by all parties present. He was released as a company of King Higurashi soldiers went with him to make sure he carried out the terms.

King Higurashi turned to Lord Inutaisho and said, "Where is my daughter? I know that you would never leave her and your son unprotected."

Inutaisho sighed as he said; "They are being protected by the Mike and Shawn at the moment, along with a company of Sesshomaru's soldiers. They are both asleep from using all of their energy to destroy all of the subduing necklaces."

King Higurashi became concerned as he asked, "Are they alright?"

"Yes, they are but Kagome has changed just a little. She has been transformed into a demon and we don't know if it's permanent yet." Said Inutaisho with concern as he saw the expression on the king's face at the news.

King Higurashi couldn't believe that his daughter has been transformed into a demon as he said, "May I see her?"

Lord Inutaisho led the way to the area where his son and mate were being protected. As the group approached the soldiers parted to give them access. When they got there King Higurashi saw what his daughter looked like. Her hair was different and there were the marks on her cheeks. She had claws for fingernails, as he could barely see the fangs sticking out of her mouth as she slept.

The king went to kneel by his daughter when he heard a growl coming from her mate. Inutaisho quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the way before his son lashed out with his claws. "I'm sorry but you can't touch her at the moment. He is very protective of her now that she is carrying his pup and he won't let you get near her. Even though he is unconscious a certain part of his demon side always protects her when he knows that she is defenseless. I'm afraid that the only one that can get near them is me. He will not attack me because he knows that I will protect them."

King Higurashi understood as he said, "Will he still love her even though she is a demon now?"

Inutaisho chuckled and said, "He will love her for all eternity. He doesn't care what she looks like. She is his mate and she makes him complete. Once they have recovered I will make sure that they come and visit. But for now we are leaving to get some much needed rest."

King Higurashi said his goodbyes, as he too was ready to get home. The battle finally being won for the freedom of the slaves, they all gathered their soldiers as they made their way home.

Inutaisho and Sesshomaru each talked to their commanders as they thanked them all for a job well done and that they were free to go home and rest.

Sesshomaru turned to his father and said, "Father, why don't you come back to my castle. We are much closer than your kingdom and you can rest there before heading back home."

Inutaisho thought about his offer. He was exhausted from all the fighting and he knew that he could never make it back to the Western Lands without having to stop along the way. If he took his son's offer he knew he could make it there without stopping. He agreed and accepted his son's offer.

Sesshomaru was delighted that his father had accepted his offer to stay at his castle with his brother and mate. It has been a long time since they had all been together and it was about time that they had a family reunion.

They saw their soldiers leave the area as Inutaisho told Mike and Shawn to go back to the Western Lands and get some much needed rest.

Then Inutaisho and Sesshomaru summoned their transportation clouds as they both headed towards the east for some much needed rest.

oOo

This is the end of the chapter. The final battle for the Southern Lands has been won. The Northern army has been defeated and peace will be restored to the lands. But our story is not over yet.

Inuyasha and Kagome must recover from their ordeal. With the fighting finally over they can live in peace. But old feelings die-hard as Sesshomaru shows his true feelings for this brother. What will happen? Well you have to wait to find out.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

They arrived back at Sesshomaru's castle a couple of hours after they had left the battlefield. When the group finally touched down everyone was exhausted. Sesshomaru picked Kagome up with a growl of protest from his brother as his father held him close to his chest to calm him down with his purrs.

They headed up the castle stairs to the room that Kagome and Inuyasha occupied when they were there before. Inuyasha's growls were becoming louder and louder the more time they took getting them to their room.

Jinx excused herself wanting to go and rest after the long battle, while she left her mate with his father to settle Inuyasha and Kagome into their room.

Once they got to the room they laid both of them on the bed. Inuyasha immediately stopped his growling when he felt that his mate was near him. He tried to move but found that his body hurt too much. He started to whimper as his father reached over and scratched one of his ears. He quickly settled down and fell back to sleep.

Sesshomaru watched with interest at the interactions between his father and brother. His father was showing true concern for Inuyasha as he tried to make him as comfortable as possible.

He turned to his father and said. "Father, I have a room for you to rest in. They will be well protected here and no one will disturb them."

Inutaisho gave a jester of understanding while he walked over to the window and looked out. He placed a seal on it to make sure that no one will come in to disturb his son. When he walked out the door he placed his seal on the door in order to protect them.

He couldn't help it. He had failed them so many times in the past that he still needed to prove to himself that he could still protect his son.

Once the seals were placed Sesshomaru showed his father to his room. His son showed him were everything was including the clothes in the closet that were made just for him. When Sesshomaru finally left him alone he breathed a big sigh of relief and leaned against the door for support. It had been two days since his body had gotten any rest and he needed it bad.

There was a sleeping hakama for him on his bed, made of the finest silk in the area. He smiled as he thought, 'It has been a really long time since I've spent anytime with Sesshomaru. He has grown and matured since the last time I've seen him.

I think that this visit will be a benefit to us all as we all get reacquainted with each other. It would do Inuyasha good to finally get to meet and understand his older brother. Maybe Sesshomaru's attitude has changed towards Inuyasha.'

He went in to take a shower as he let the water run all over his tired body. It felt good to just stand there as the warm water hit his aching muscles and allowed him to relax for the first time in days.

Once he was done he got dressed as he went to check on his youngest son before he retired for the day.

When he walked in he saw that Inuyasha had moved closer to his mate as he held her in his arms like he usually did. He took a closer look at his son and he saw that he was still in his demon form. He didn't know what to make of it. He should have returned to his normal form by now but he hadn't.

He then looked at Kagome and saw that she was still in her demon form. He was beginning to think that their transformation was going to be permanent because they should have returned to their normal forms by now and they hadn't. He heard the gentle heartbeat of the pup as he finally left the room to get some much-needed rest.

He finally lay down on the soft bed provided to him by his eldest son as he let his body completely relax and fall into a nice healing sleep.

oOo

Jinx was the first to awaken after two days of being asleep. She slowly opened her eyes as she took in her surrounding. She noticed that she was back in her bedroom and that she was being tightly held in her mate's embrace.

She noticed that she wasn't wearing any clothes and neither was her mate. She wondered when she had lost the sleeping kimono she had put on when they came back from the northern territories. She didn't remember doing anything that would have required her to remove it.

She slowly started to move and heard a growl of protest coming from her mate, as he pulled her back towards him. Jinx had experience in getting out of his embrace as she let him hold her until he relaxed and fell asleep again.

Once she was sure that he was asleep she slowly moved his arm from around her body as she slipped out of his grasp. She put a pillow in her place as she laid his arm back down and moved toward the edge of the bed.

Jinx sat up as she swung her legs over edge of the bed and let them dangle on the side. She picked her arms up and stretched her tired back as she yawned. She looked at her hands and noticed that she still had claws. She pulled her long locks around to see that her hair was still the same color as her mate with a hint of blue tint in it.

Jinx smiled, 'I think that this change is permanent now. Maybe now, Sesshy will let me leave this part of the castle if I'm a demon. I know that he was trying to protect me before but I was always left up here alone while he had business to attend to. This way I'm free to come and go as I please.'

She moved closer to the edge as she started to put her feet on the ground and stood. She sighed with relief when her legs took her weight with ease. She was feeling better today and she wanted to get cleaned up. She was about to leave when she was grabbed by the wrist and pulled back on the bed by her mate.

Sesshomaru had noticed when his mate had moved away from his grasp. He watched as she sat by the edge of the bed and stretched her beautiful body. He noticed that she was still in her demon form as he looked at her with desire.

She was a demon now and he wanted her for his own. The scent she was giving off was intoxicating as he took a deep breath to inhale it. It made his body come alive as his eyes started to turn red.

When he saw her stand up to leave, he quickly sat up and grabbed her by the wrist. He pulled her quickly back towards him and placed her on his lap.

Sesshomaru buried his nose in the crook of her neck as he inhaled her sweet scent again. It was beautiful and intoxicating all at the same time. He desired her as he started to lick her neck to make her submit to him.

Jinx was shocked when she landed on her mates lap as he put his nose on her neck. She felt when he nuzzled her as a gentle growl escape his lips that tickled her neck. His chest was vibrating like he was purring, as he was licking her neck, sending a wave of desire through her body. This always drove her crazy with passion as he continued with his action.

Jinx started to moan as she caught the scent of something wonderful. It was sweet and very arousing, as she leaned into her mate's arms. Her chest was touching his, as his vibrating chest sent a new wave of desire through her body, as it came to life. She moved her head towards his neck as she started to lick him in return.

She suddenly got the urge to bite his neck, as her fangs grew longer. She bit down hard as her fangs dug deeper into his skin, marking him as her mate for life. She pulled away as she started to lick his wound to make the blood stop flowing, all the while she was purring with delight.

Sesshomaru was enjoying his mate's reaction to him. He felt her returning his affection when he felt her fangs dig into his shoulder. He felt her surge of power as she marked him as her mate for life.

Sesshomaru took his fangs and renewed his mating mark as he marked her new form. He withdrew his fangs as he continued to heal her wound. He shifted her body back down to the bed never once losing his place on her neck. Her scent was too powerful to ignore anymore. It was about time that he claimed his new demon mate as her scent was driving his inner demon crazy with desire, as Jinx submitted to his will.

oOo

Jinx and Sesshomaru awoke sometime later when everything was over. They were still tired but they felt a new bond between them. They went to get cleaned up and when they were done dressing Jinx turned to her mate and said, "I'll wait for you in the training center until you return."

It had been their normal routine for a long time. She would go to the training center and he would go downstairs to get something to eat for the both of them. This time to her surprise he said, "No, you're coming with me down to the castle proper. It's about time that they met the mistress of the castle."

"But Sesshy?" Jinx had started to protest but he held his finger up to her lips to silence her, as he said, "No, it's about time that you left this area of the castle and see you're new home. I know that you can protect yourself and the threat is gone from our kingdom so I'm not worried about your safety."

When he finished speaking he leaned down and kissed her to quiet her fears. When he looked into her eyes they were blue. The only part of her human form that had returned was the color of her eyes that he loved so much.

Together they left the safety of their chambers as they walked down to the castle proper. Jinx walked right next to her mate as they headed down to the dinning hall. She had no idea what to expect from the other demons in the castle. She was scared as she grabbed her mate's arm and held on tight as they walked.

Sesshomaru noticed his mates discomfort as he drew her closer into his embrace. He felt her relax as they continued to walk. He was watching her from the corner of his eye. He saw her looking at everything as they walked, like a child in a candy store, that was allowed to look at all of the candy for the first time.

The guards that were stationed in the upper part of the castle started to send word downstairs that their lord and mate were coming down and that they needed to get everything ready.

The household staff quickly came to life as they hurried to get some food on the table for their lord. It was in the middle of the day so they served lunch as they entered the dinning hall.

All of the servants bowed as they greeted their lord and his new mate. They sat down as they brought them the food they had prepared.

Jinx was happy, she had never seen the castle up close before and she was fascinated with what she saw. There were paintings hanging on the walls that were done by great artist. It put her paintings to shame as she looked at them.

They ate in silence and when they were done she heard her mate ask, "Has my father or my brother come down to get anything to eat?"

"No, my Lord no one has come down from the upper levels." Said one of the servants.

Sesshomaru informed his staff that when they came down they were to be treated with respect and given anything that they desired. The staff understood as Sesshomaru got up and said to his mate, "Jinx, come with me and I will give you a tour of the castle." Jinx smiled as she accepted her mate's hand and together they walked all over the castle as he showed her everything he owned.

oOo

Lord Inutaisho started to stir around the third day. He felt well rested and back to his normal self. He was hungry and he figured that he had been asleep for a few days. He rose out of bed as he went to get cleaned up and dressed before he went downstairs.

He walked out of his room as he went to check on his youngest son. They were still asleep and he saw that neither of them had returned to their normal forms. He sighed as he left the room looking to satisfy the hunger he was feeling. He had no idea where the dining hall was located but he figured that he would just follow his nose to the food.

The guard seeing him coming down the stairs stepped up to him and said, "My Lord if you would follow me I will show you where the dining hall is located."

Lord Inutaisho inclined his head toward the guard as he followed him into the dining hall. The household staff had been waiting for him and when he entered they seated him at the table and served him his food. Once he was done with the delicious food he said his thanks and sent his compliments to the cook.

He asked if they had seen his son and the servants said that he was outside in the gardens with his mate. Inutaisho inclined his head again in thanks and left the dining hall. He went outside to see if he could find his son so they could talk. He lifted his nose into the air as he found his son's scent and followed it.

When he reached their location he saw him sitting under a tree talking to his mate. He smiled as he approached, this scene reminded him so much of his youngest son with his mate. When his son went to stand up he told him to relax as he sat down with them to get reacquainted.

They spent the afternoon together as they got to know one another all over again. His son had offered his apologies for not telling him of his mating with Jinx and hoped that he would be forgiven for his actions.

Inutaisho laughed as he told him that it was all right and that he had already forgiven him. He did request, that if they were ever to have any pups that he was to be the first one to know beside themselves. His son turned three shades of red but agreed to his request to tell him of the blessed event.

Sesshomaru had taken him on a tour of his kingdom and he was very impressed with what his son had accomplished. His son was very smart and applied everything he learned in the human world to his kingdom.

As the evening was approaching Inutaisho was getting worried. Inuyasha had not awakened from his sleep and neither had Kagome. He knew that Kagome needed to eat because if she didn't she will weaken herself even more.

Sesshomaru seeing that his father was in deep thought said, "Father, is something bothering you?"

Inutaisho looked up as he said, "I'm worried about your brother. He has been asleep for too long and so has his mate. Kagome needs to eat in order to nourish the pup, if she doesn't wake up by tomorrow morning I will have to wake Inuyasha and see if he can wake her."

Sesshomaru understood the importance of his words and then he asked, "Is there a problem with waking him up?"

Inutaisho sighed and said, "He's still in his demon form and he could attack once he is awake. It has happened before but he has never been this strong. I think he has reached his true demon form because he has been like this for 4 days now.

Kagome has also reached that level because she has been a demon for 5 days. I'm afraid that her transformation is permanent and I don't know how she is going to react to that news. She has been too busy fighting to really think about it, but I rather she think about her demon transformation than in the loss of her pups."

Sesshomaru's head shot up as he said, "What loss of pups? I thought she hadn't been with my brother for that long. Has she lost pups in the past?"

"No, Kagome was carrying three pups. When that human that was behind all of these attacks went after them, on their return trip from seeing her parents, she was severely injured. She lost two of the three pups she was carrying. We made the decision not to tell her because we knew that she would blame herself for the loss.

She found out during the battle in my kingdom and was devastated. Inuyasha had a hard time trying to calm her down so we could continue to fight. I know that she hasn't had time to fully grief for the pups but I worry that she will reject the one she has left because of it.

It's my fault for not being there for them. I had slept in that day and if I hadn't, I would have been there to get them out of harms way. So its my fault that she lost her pups." Said Inutaisho with a sad tone to his voice.

Sesshomaru had never seen his father so depressed. He felt responsible for the pup's death. "Father, you can't be everywhere. Even Inuyasha understands that. I'm sure that he doesn't fault you in this matter."

Inutaisho laughed and said, "No, your brother doesn't fault me in this, as a matter of fact we didn't know that she was carrying three pups. We only heard the ones heartbeat so we were both shocked to hear that she was carrying three pups."

They both sat together for a little while longer until they all grew tired and went off to bed. They would have to wait until the morning to see if Inuyasha would wake up on his own.

oOo

Inutaisho awoke early the next morning. He wanted to be up early to see if his son would wake up on his own. He got up and got dressed as he made his way out of his room heading towards his youngest son.

When he stepped out of his room he saw one of the servants in the hallway. He quickly made his way over to her as he asked for a food tray to be brought up to his youngest son's room. He wanted enough food to feed his son and his mate. The servant bowed and hurried off to relay his request to the cook.

Inutaisho turned and went back to his son's room. He stood outside the door and listened. He was hoping to hear that they had awakened on their own, but the steady rhythm of there breathing told him that they were still asleep.

He sighed as he entered the room and found them both still asleep. He waited for a few minutes until the servants came with the food he had requested. He had them put it on a table that was in the room as they quickly made their way back out the door.

He reached in his shirt and pulled out a small pouch that contained a healing herb he had gotten from the healers before they started the battle. The herb was to help rejuvenate the body after a hard fight. It slowly gave the body energy as it started to heal any injury that it had received and allowed the user to continue to fight. For his purpose the herb will help heal his son and mate as it gave them enough energy to eat. He put some of it in the hot tea that was brought up.

Now for the hard part, to wake his youngest son, as a young pup he had always hated to get up. With his mate he was up before the break of dawn so they could train, much to his surprise. He never thought that Kagome could get his son out of bed before midday. She had managed to do this and she was disciplining him in the process, something he had been unable to do all these years.

He walked over to his son side as he looked at his sleeping form. He still had his demon markings as he prepared himself just in case he attacked when he was awakened. He reached a hand out and touched his son's shoulder. He was surprised that his son didn't attack him.

He shook his shoulder and said, "Inuyasha, my son, you must wake up." He heard a low moan escape his son's lips but he continued to sleep as he pulled Kagome closer to him.

He tried again, "Inuyasha, you must wake up, Kagome needs you and so does the pup."

This got his son moving even more. At the mention of his mate and pup his protection instincts came back full force as a clawed hand lashed out towards his father. He quickly got out of the way before it made contact with his chest.

Inuyasha quickly sat up as he was breathing hard with his head down. He felt very weak and he couldn't understand why.

He looked to his side and saw his mate lying there on the bed not moving, she looked pale and worn as he became very concerned about her. He heard the gentle voice of his father calling out to him. As he slowly looked up from his mate to see two very concerned golden eyes.

Inutaisho saw when his son raised his head to looked at him. His demon features were still there. His fangs and claws remained longer. He had two purple stripes on each side of his cheeks but instead of the stripes being jagged they were straight and smooth. It almost looked like his own markings only he had two stripes instead of the one on each side of his cheek.

He had the golden crescent moon on his forehead but his eyes were golden again as his ears remained on top of his head. He had remained in his full demon form but he seemed to have calmed down and his eyes were back to normal.

"Inuyasha, how are you feeling?" asked his father.

Inuyasha bowed his head down as he was breathing hard. He was trying to find his voice to answer his father. When he finally found it, it was rough and deep from none use, "I'm tired and I hurt everywhere."

"Here Inuyasha, I want you to drink this. It will make you feel better." Inutaisho gave his son some hot tea with some healing herbs in it to make him feel better.

One sip and Inuyasha refused to drink the hot liquid because he didn't like the taste of it. But a growl from his father told him he didn't have a choice as he continued to drink the foul liquid until he was done.

Inuyasha had to admit, after he was done drinking the hot tea he actually felt better. He started to get some of his strength back and his head stopped spinning around in circles.

"Inuyasha, do you think you can handle some food?" Asked his father.

Inuyasha slowly nodded his head yes in response. It took too much energy to talk.

Inutaisho got some food and gave it to his son. He watched as his son tried to eat. He was so weak from lack of food that his hands were shaking as he lifted the food up to his mouth. It took a lot of effort on his part to chew the food. When Inutaisho saw that his son was having difficulties in eating his food he reached over and started to feed him. He wanted to get some food into him, so he helped him eat.

It was a slow process but soon his son had his fill and he was feeling much better. He was still tired but he was more alert than before.

"How do you feel now?" Inutaisho asked as he looked at his son with interest.

"Much better than before, thank you. What happened? Where are we? And how long have we been asleep?" Inuyasha asked as he yawned.

"You have been asleep for four days. I will explain later what happened and where we are. But right now you need to wake your mate, she has not eaten in four days and I know her body is weaker than yours." Inutaisho had a worried look in his eyes as he looked at Kagome.

Inuyasha was about to lean over his mate to wake her when he caught a strange scent. It had been too long since he had smelled that scent as he started to growl and flex his claws before the door even opened.

Inutaisho couldn't understand why his son had become so protective all of a sudden when he caught the scent of his eldest son.

Inuyasha's senses were sharper than his that's why he caught his scent before he did. He heard a small knock on the door before it started to open when Inuyasha moved to attack.

Inutaisho had to think fast as he leaped from his spot and got in between his sons, as he stopped Inuyasha from attacking his brother. His eyes had gone blood red as he back down from his attack because of his father's presence.

Sesshomaru was surprised that his father had jumped in front of him. He saw his brother coming after him as he started to growl and almost attacked had it not been for is father standing in his way.

Inutaisho had to get in between his sons to stop them from fighting. He growled at Inuyasha as he told him to return to his mate and make sure that she ate her food.

Inuyasha lowered his ears at the scolding he got from his father as he went back to his mate to tend to her needs. She was more important than his brother at the moment. But he refused to back down from his protectiveness of his mate. He stood by the bed, barring his fangs and flexing his claws at his brother's presence in his room.

Inutaisho turned toward Sesshomaru and said, "I need to talk to you outside." Sesshomaru bowed slightly as he made his way to the door and stepped out while he waited for his father to close the door behind him.

When they were finally out of the room Inutaisho turned toward his son and said, "Sesshomaru, you are going to have to stay away from your brother until he has fully recovered. He has remained in this demon form and he will attack if he thinks there is a threat to his mate. Unfortunately Kagome has told him about the time you almost attacked her. So when you're around he is especially protective of her."

Sesshomaru understood what his father was saying, he did try to attack and kill his mate. But now that he knew who she was he wouldn't hurt her. He understood how his brother was feeling. He felt the same way when they went after his mate during that battle. He knew that if his brother had gone after his mate he would be protective of her if he were around.

Sesshomaru looked at his father, he had a concerned look in his eyes as he asked, "Father is something wrong?"

Inutaisho looked up from the ground at the sound of his son's voice. He was deep in thought when he heard his question, "Nothing is wrong. I'm just worried about your brother and whether he will return to normal or stay the way he is."

Sesshomaru saw the way he worried about his brother. He never showed his concern for his pups in anyway. "Why do you worry so much about Inuyasha? He can take care of himself. I've seen the power he controls, he can protect himself."

Inutaisho saw the hurt in his son's eyes as he motioned for him to follow as they walked out of the castle and into the garden.

He found a nice big tree to sit under as he considered his sons words. He thought for a few minutes before he started to speak.

"Yes, I'm every protective of your brother, Sesshomaru. It's not because he's weak, it's because they have been after him since the day he was born. There have been a hand full of times when I didn't arrive in time to help him and he has been injured so badly that the healers didn't know if he would survive.

His mother died a few years after you left my kingdom to come here. There was an attack on the castle and she had been outside in the forest with your brother teaching him about herbs. I felt her fear but I was too far away to help her protect our son.

When the demons attacked they went after Inuyasha. His mother seeing that he was in danger put a protective barrier around him. The barrier was a strong one that no one could break and it kept your brother safe until I got there to protect him from harm.

They killed his mother because she was using all of her energy to protect him that she was almost left defenseless. They attacked her and she was using her sword to protect our son. But she was growing weak as they came at her. They grabbed her and were slashing at her body when she gathered all of her remaining energy and purified all of the demons.

I found her almost dead as I held her in my arms. She told me to take care of our son and to always protect him. But before she died she had enough strength to break our mating bond leaving me to care for him in her absence.

Inuyasha had witness the whole thing. The reason they wanted to kill him was because he was a hanyou, a half-breed. He had been so traumatized by what had happened that he didn't speak for over a month. He couldn't understand why they had killed his mother and left him alone to be with me.

Then one day we were out in the forest. I was trying to teach him how to track and I was hiding in the forest so he can find me.

I caught the sent of youkai near by and went in search of your brother, by the time I got there his shirt was all bloody. He had been fighting with the demon and when he leaped into the air and slashed his opponent in half with just his bare claws. I knew that something had gone wrong.

I looked straight into his eyes and saw that he had the demons red eyes. I knew that I had to calm him down because I had yet to teach him how to control his demon blood.

I was able to calm him and made a decision to seal his demon blood for good. He had already suffered so much in his life that I couldn't put him through taming his youkai blood the way I did with you.

So in a way it's my fault for him being this way. I raised him weak so that he would always need protecting but at the same time I neglected him. I was so busy running things that I had no time for him. I never listened when he tried to talk to me and voice his concerns.

Soon my commanders where teaching him how to fight and use his abilities. He had asked for their help so he could become stronger and wouldn't need me to protect him all the time.

He was becoming stronger with his training that he started getting cocky and went after the slave wagons. I had warned him about attacking the wagons and said that they had other means of capturing demons that he was unaware of. But he wouldn't listen and he continued to go after them.

When I was told that he had not returned from his sojourn in the forest with Shippo I knew that he had been captured.

Somewhere along the way I lost contact with my son's, first you and then your brother. I couldn't understand where I went wrong in raising the both of you.

But slowly your brother has been showing me the errors of my ways. I'm learning to care and love again. I have learned where I went wrong in raising him and I'm correcting all of those mistakes. But some mistakes can never be forgiven."

Sesshomaru looked at his father. In all the time he has known him he has never seen him this old before. He looked tired, worried, frustrated, and hurt.

"Yes, you might've made some mistakes but he is still alive and he has survived his ordeals. I believe that he is a better person for it. You may not have taught him everything he needed to know but you were there when he needed you the most.

You have saved him and his mate because if you weren't there to protect them from harm then they would've lost their lives and all of their pups." Sesshomaru said as he tried to explain things to his father from his prospective.

Inutaisho sighed he knew his son was right but he couldn't help feel guilty for failing to protect his son. "I know I have to let go of him because he is grown and about to start a family of his own. But I can't. I want them to be near me. Your brother has been a comfort to me over the years. We have been together for a long time and the castle will seem empty without him there to terrorize the household staff."

They both sat in the gardens and just talked. Inutaisho listened to his eldest son's concerns and understood his feeling. He put to rest many of the fears that his son had as they continued to talk as the day progressed.

oOo

Inuyasha did not backed down from his protectiveness of his mate until he saw his brother leave with his father. He would not allow Sesshomaru to get near his mate. He had already threatened her once, and he wasn't going to do it again. He would see to that.

Inuyasha finally calmed down and his eyes returned to their normal color. He turned towards his mate as he went and sat by her side.

He noticed that her hair was still the same color as his and when he got a closer look at her he finally noticed her features. She had elfin ears on the side of her head where her normal ears would be. She had claws and fangs.

She looked beautiful in his demons eyes. When he moved the hair away from her face he noticed the two purple stripes she had on her cheek. He knew she had a matching set on the other side of her face. He moved her ebony bangs to the side and noticed her golden crescent moon on her forehead.

He wondered why his mate had not changed back to her normal form. He continued to ponder this question and he decided that he would have to ask his father later. He had to tend to Kagome. He had to wake her up so she could eat.

He moved his head down as he was seeking her full lips. Her lips were sweet and warm as he pressed his lips to hers. He started to run his tongue over them to get them wet. This would normally wake his mate up but she wasn't responding to his touches.

Inuyasha pulled back from her and became concerned at his mates none response to him.

Then he got an idea as he said in her ear, "Koishii, please wake up. I need you." He noticed that his mate started to breathe deeper as he continued to talk to her to see if she would wake up.

He licked her ear as he held her in his arms and felt her shiver from what he was doing to her. He knew that her ears were the most sensitive part of her now that she was a demon.

He continued his assault as he started to trail hot kisses down her neck. He nuzzled her under her chin as he began to work. He was licking her neck as he trailed hot kisses down the most sensitive parts of her skin. He continued with his actions until he got to his mating mark. He knew of a way to wake her as he started lick her mark.

His licking sent a wave of desire through Kagome's body as she slowly started to stir in his arms. She was breathing hard as she slowly opened her eyes.

At first Kagome was confused, she was tired and she felt weak for some reason. She whimpered like she was in pain as Inuyasha stopped what he was doing to look at his mate.

Inuyasha became concerned when he heard his mate whimper. He looked up to see that she was awake and her eyes were a beautiful blue. He held her tighter as he said, "Kagome, are you all right?"

Kagome was too weak to speak. She felt dizzy and she was extremely tired. She wanted to go back to sleep as she tried to close her eyes to rest.

Inuyasha seeing that his mate was about to go back to sleep quickly sat up with her as he reached for the tea that his father had given him to drink. He held it up to her lips as he said, "Koishii, please drink this. It will make you feel better."

Kagome took one sniff of the hot liquid that he held for her and quickly turned her head away from it. It smelled awful and she didn't want to drink it. She started to moan and she shook her head no. She wanted to speak but found that she couldn't for some reason. She started making little noises and said in Inu Youkai,

: No, it smells bad:

Inuyasha hearing that his mate was speaking to him in Inu Youkai responded in kind.

: Mate you must drink this. It will make you feel better and it will help the pup:

Kagome looked at her mate as she finally realize what he saying. She agreed as she started drinking the awful medicine. She winced as she drank it and when she was done she actually felt better but she was still very weak as she said, "Inu… Inuyasha."

Inuyasha heard his mate and held her closer to him as he said, "Shh, don't talk right now, I want you to eat this food. Once you eat you will start to feel better."

Kagome agreed as Inuyasha helped her to eat. He feed his mate until she had eaten everything that was left. He turned to her and asked, "Kagome are you still hungry? I could get you some more food if you are."

"No Inuyasha, thank you. Why do I feel so weak mate?" she asked in a tired voice.

"We have been asleep for four days and you are weak because you haven't feed the pup in that long. The pup pulls from your reserves and that's why you are feeling so weak at the moment." He said with concern in his voice.

Inuyasha noticed that they were still in the same clothes that they had on when they started the battle in the Western Lands. He knew that his mate loved to bathe on a daily bases. He got up out of bed as he reached for his mate and cradled her in his arms. He slowly made his way into the bathroom so they could bathe.

He put his mate in a chair that was in there as he got the shower ready. He started to run the water for their shower making sure it was the right temperature for his mate. He striped his clothes as he walked back to his mate and proceeded to remove hers.

Kagome was still very weak and was barely standing on her own as she was leaning against her mate for support. She moaned as he removed her clothes. She could tell what he was doing but she was just too tired to protest or enjoy his touch. He held her tight as he moved her into the shower.

They both got into the shower and let the warm water run over their tired bodies as it finally relaxed them.

Kagome almost fell asleep again when she felt her mate move. She growled for being disturbed when she felt his hands gently massaging her scalp as her mate was washing her hair.

He took such great care to be gentle with her hair that it really felt good. She made a mental note to have him wash her hair again in the future. She was really enjoying his touches, they were very comforting and she needed that at this moment.

He finished with her hair as he sat her down on the ledge in the shower while he took care of his own. He reached for the soap and then used a washcloth to clean his mate.

He washed her face, neck, arms, chest, and when he got to the bulge of her breeding belly he stopped. He gently passed his hand over her belly when he felt a powerful kick move his hand away.

He looked up in time to see his mate wince in pain from what the pup just did. "Kagome, are you all right? The pup didn't hurt you did it?"

Kagome was breathing hard, she had never felt the pup kick so hard before, it had always been gentle. She was breathing hard as she said, "I'm fine mate. I never felt it kick this hard before."

Then a thought came across her mind as the pup settled down. Tears started to form in her eyes as she started to think about her other pups that she had lost.

The price of peace was too much for her to bear, it had cost her two of her pups and now that the fighting was over. She could properly allow herself time to grieve for their loss.

When she looked up at her mate the tears were coming down her cheeks as she asked, "Inuyasha, do you know the sex of the pups that we lost?"

Inuyasha was caught completely off guard by her question. He didn't expect her to be thinking about the pups she had lost. "No mate, I have never been told what they were."

Kagome started to think, she was almost five months pregnant. She lost her pups over a month ago so it would have been too early to tell what sex they were.

She lowered her head and continued to cry for the pups she lost as she turned away from her mate. Everything she had pinned up inside her she let out, it was almost too much for her to bear. The pain in her heart was great, as she felt empty for loosing her pups.

Inuyasha seeing that Kagome was crying tired to pull her towards him but she pushed him away from her. He knew that she was hurting and he wouldn't allow her to push him away. He reached for her and pulled her into his embrace as held her, never wanting to let go.

He didn't even try to calm her down as he allowed her to cry over the pups. He knew she needed this or there would be no closure if she didn't let out all of her sorrow and anger.

Soon Kagome quieted down as Inuyasha held her in his embrace, he was rocking her back and forth just trying to comfort her. He looked down to see that she was still awake.

He thought it best to get out of the shower as he reached up and turned the water off. He then grabbed Kagome as he stood bringing her along with him.

Kagome wouldn't look at her mate. She wondered if he blamed her for the loss of their pups. If she didn't go home then this would've never had happened. Her mind was reeling with what to do. She wouldn't blame her mate if he left her because of it.

Inuyasha kept his eyes on Kagome, she wasn't looking at him and she wasn't speaking, this was bad. She was sitting still and had not moved from the position he had put her in. He wrapped a towel around her as he picked her up in his arms and took her back to bed.

He stopped before reaching the bed and picked up a brush from the dresser. He then moved over to the bed and placed Kagome there as he sat behind her. He put one knee on each side of her hips. He took the brush and started at the top of her head as he brushed out her long gorgeous mane.

He remembered when she had done this to him and how good it felt. He remembered he felt very special that she would even want to touch him.

He continued to brush her hair as he got out the many tangles she had. It felt soft, smooth, and silky to the touch. The whole time he was brushing his mate's hair Kagome was purring with delight. He decided that he liked the purrs as he continued.

oOo

Kagome was still deep in thought about the loss of her pups. She had almost convinced herself that her mate didn't want her anymore when she felt him sitting right behind her.

She felt the gentle touch of his hand going through her hair. Then she felt the brush touch the top of her head as he was combing out her hair from its many tangles. It sent a shiver down her spine as he continued. A low purr started in her chest as he continued to give her some much-needed attention.

Her wall of despair was slowly being broken away as her mate continued with his attention. When he finally stopped she lowered her head and started to cry again. Her heart ached and longed for her mates touch.

Inuyasha finished brushing his mates hair. When he stopped he heard his mates whimpers and knew how she felt. He never wanted her to stop either. He saw her lower her head and then he caught the scent of her tears again.

He put the brush down as he reached for his mate and pulled her into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her as he said in her ear, "Koishii, I love you. I will always love you no matter what. I want to help you heal my love."

Kagome heart started to race when she heard him say that he loved her. He turned her around in his grasp as he leaned down and kissed her. He kissed her with such passion that she never noticed he took the towel off of her as he laid her back down on the bed.

He was going to make her forget about all of her pain and he was going to show her how much he truly loved her. He placed a barrier on the door to make sure no one entered their room while he was busy with his mate.

Kagome was in heaven as she felt her mate's lips on her. His kiss was very powerful as it started to make her head swim. She felt that she was lying down as her mate was on top of her caressing her neck.

She moaned as she felt his hot wet tongue on her neck. She allowed herself to finally let go of her grief and allowed her mate to continue with his actions.

Their joining was sweet and powerful. It told of his love for her and that he would always protect her as they both found their mating marks and renewed them. The marks glowed with power, as they would protect each other for all eternity.

The mating marks merged into one as did their souls and their hearts, finally joining to become one. The mating mark was different from the first one, as a crescent moon appeared where the fang marks were located. The mark was huge to show the power and love that these two held.

They finally fell asleep, happy and sedated. It was a long road to recovery but they were finally on their way there as they held each other when they slept.

oOo

Inutaisho and Sesshomaru were talking for a long time. They talked about everything that was important to his son.

Inutaisho was finally learning how to be a real father to his sons. It took almost losing his youngest and the loss of two of his grand pups for him to learn this lesson. He promised himself never to make those same mistakes again as he tried to form a new relationship with his sons.

Inutaisho looked up into the sky and noticed it was late morning, almost noon. "Sesshomaru, I have to go and check on your brother and his mate. I have to make sure that they have eaten the wonderful food that your staff provided."

Sesshomaru knew better than to argue with his father. He was still protective of his brother and mate and until those two recovered fully, he will not back down from his protectiveness of them.

Inutaisho walked back into the castle with Sesshomaru close at his side. When they both arrived at the room where Inuyasha was located they found a powerful barrier there protecting it.

Sesshomaru stepped forward, as he wondered how strong this barrier really was. He touched it and he instantly regretted his decision when he was thrown against the wall.

He was about to attack it again as his father stopped him and said, "Sesshomaru, you will never be able to break that barrier. Inuyasha was the one that put it up and it's the same one his mother always used. I couldn't break her barriers."

Inutaisho studied the barrier. His son had grown in power again if he could put up a barrier this strong. He placed his hand on the barrier and he waited to see what would happen. The barrier shifted as it allowed him to get to the door. He reached for the handle and opened the door as he stepped inside his youngest son's room.

Inutaisho found both of them asleep again but he was happy to see that all of the food was gone. He knew that Inuyasha had gotten his mate to eat.

He noticed that they were out of their clothes. He had to make sure that he got them some new ones to wear. He leaned over to look at his son and noticed that the color had returned to his face. He was still in his demon form and so was Kagome.

He sighed he knew that the changes were permanent now. He would have to wait for his son to wake up to talk to him about this. He didn't know if he would have a problem with being a full demon now.

oOo

The days passed and Inuyasha and Kagome were recovering nicely from their ordeal. They were sleeping less and eating more allowing their bodies to gain the energy back that they had lost.

Inutaisho would come in every mealtime and bring them something to eat.

He finally had gotten the chance to talk to his son when he was fully conscious about his transformation. He was shocked to hear that he had changed into his demon form permanently. He was happy to learn that he wasn't walking around with blood red eyes, as he sighed with relief when he still had his dog-ears on top of his head.

He explained that Kagome liked his ears and he would prefer to keep them if they made her happy. Especially when she knew where he had gotten his cute ears.

When she had seen his father transformed into his full demon form she had commented on his cute ears.

He had the satisfaction of seeing his father blush a deep red at Kagome's complements. He told his father that soon they would be recovered enough to leave the room once his mate had her strength back. She was taking the longest to recover, as her body was weaker than his.

Inutaisho knew this and said that they can take all the time they needed to recover, he was enjoying his little vacation with his other son.

Inuyasha was not happy to hear this. His father had explained what had happened in the last battle once he and Kagome had released the final spell to break all of the subduing necklaces. He knew that he was in Sesshomaru's kingdom and he wanted to go home. He didn't feel comfortable being there and he wanted to get Kagome away from his brother.

The days passed and Inuyasha had fully recovered from his ordeal and he was keeping guard over his mate who was still weak. She was eating more and resting, as the pup grew bigger. He would still have to wake her up so she could eat but she wasn't as weak as she used to be.

Finally Kagome started to stir on her own and woke up before her mate. She slowly opened her eyes and took in her surroundings for the first time. She thought that she had been dreaming of this place as she came to realize that her dreams were real.

She was being held in a tight embrace as she felt the familiar hand wrapped around one of her breast. She smiled as she turned to look at her sleeping mate behind her. She needed to go to the bathroom as she slowly got out of his grip, and after about a week of being in bed, she stood up on her own two feet.

She sighed in relief knowing that her body was getting stronger again. She hated feeling weak and having to depend on her mate for everything. She made her way into the bathroom to get cleaned up.

When she entered she quickly took care of business as she found a mirror and decided to look in it to see how bad she really looked. When she looked at her reflection her eyes went wide as she screamed and dropped it on the floor. She backed herself into a corner of the room. She couldn't believe what she saw. She looked different and she didn't know why.

Inuyasha was sound asleep and when he heard his mate scream. He was instantly awake, as he got ready to attack the intruder that was after his mate. He noticed that she wasn't lying in bed with him and he knew that she had not gone out the door because his barrier was still in place.

There was only one other place she could be in as he rushed into the bathroom and found her in a corner of the room in shock. "Kagome! Are you all right? What happened?" Asked a very worried Inuyasha as he saw the way his mate was breathing.

Kagome was shaking so bad that he didn't know what to do. He reached for her and held her in his arms as he tried to calm her down. He didn't know what could've caused this when he looked around the bathroom and found the broken mirror on the floor.

He cursed under his breath for not putting the mirror away the night before. So far he had prevented his mate from seeing herself but now she new the truth and it scared her. He picked her up as he moved her back to the bed. He sat with her in his lap as he continued to rock and soothe his mate.

Once she was calmed he said, "Kagome, I'm… I'm sorry. This is my fault. I'm sorry that you have turned into a demon." The hurt in his voice was so immense that it snapped Kagome out of her fright. She turned to look at her mate. He had his head down and was whimpering, refusing to look at her.

Kagome reached a hand up and started to scratch his ear as he stopped whimpering and relaxed into her touch. He brought her closer to him as he buried his nose in her hair. Her scent made him relax as he felt her gentle touch on his cheek.

Kagome moved her hand down to his cheek and gently caressed him. "Inuyasha, what do you mean this is all your fault? You mean I look like this because I'm a demon now?"

Kagome noticed that her mate lowered his ears on his head as he tried to speak, "I'm sorry Kagome. My blood must have taken over your body during the battle and you transformed into a demon. We were fighting for so long in that form that we both have remained that way. My father says that we have tamed our demon bloods and this is our new form. I'm sorry, if you had never mated with me then this would have never had happened to you."

Kagome heard what he had said, 'I remained in my demon form, so this is what I look like as a demon?'

Kagome looked up at her mate and for the first time noticed his markings. She traced her finger along his purple stripes on his cheeks and saw the golden crescent moon on his forehead. She had the same markings as him.

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief in knowing that she was only in her demon form. She had thought that someone had done something to her and that her mate would reject her because of what she looked like. She looked up at her mate as she leaned in and kissed him. She captured his lips in a heated kiss as she felt him react to her touch.

Inuyasha didn't know what to do, his mate was kissing him and he had thought that she was upset at being a demon. He leaned into her touch as he hungrily went after her lips. He kissed her passionately and when they pulled away from each other they were panting with desire.

He looked into his mates blue eyes and said, "Are you mad at me because you're a demon now?"

Kagome smiled and said, "No, I'm not mad, though I am a little disappointed."

"Your disappointed? About what?" asked a concerned Inuyasha.

Kagome giggled and said, "Because I don't have cute ears like you."

Inuyasha smiled as he leaned down and kissed his mate as he laid her back on the bed and proceeded to make her feel very special. She may not have ears like him but he knew that her ears were just as sensitive as his. He started to lick her ear and he felt her shiver in his arms. He continued with his actions as he got his mate to purr at what he was doing.

Inuyasha thought it best to seal his barrier and prevent his father from walking into the room and disturbing what he was doing with his mate. He started to show her all of her sensitive spots that would drive her wild with passion, now that she was a demon.

oOo

This is the end to another chapter. I hoped you all liked it. I gave you all a brief history on why Inuyasha acted the way he did and what happened to his mother.

I have been asked a question in some of my reviews and here is the answer. This story is almost over. You have only 3 more chapters to go before it ends. I will finish posting this story and you will all get to see the pups being born.

I have yet to decide on whether I will post anymore of my stories on the sites. I have received so much negative reviews for this story that it's not worth my time or effort to continuing posting my stories. It doesn't mean that I will quit writing my stories. I will always do that it only means that no one will be able to read them like in the past.

For all of you faithful readers I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for reviewing my story. I enjoyed reading your reviews and I truly hoped you enjoyed the story I wrote for you. As for the one's that don't like the story, please don't read it. I never asked you to read my story.

Too many times I have read a story that was good and the author never finished it. I made a promise to all of my faithful readers that I will finish this story for them.

There have been a handful of times when I liked a story the way it started out but then it went in a different direction and I discontinued reading it. It's the author choice on which way a story should go and I respect that. I will never belittle them for making that choice.

I have some really close friends of mine that are trying to convince me to keep posting. I have not made my final decision as of yet. I will keep a lot of things in mind as I post the final chapters to this story.

Sesshomaru's true feelings for his brother will come to a head in the next chapter. His mate will make him think about a lot of things as he shows his true colors. Will he lose his mate over his stubborn pride and his feelings for half-breeds? Or will Jinx show him the error of his ways?

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Inutaisho was getting ready to leave his room, he hoped that today his son and mate were strong enough to come down stairs and join him for breakfast.

He knew that his son wouldn't leave the room if he still had to wake Kagome to eat her food. Kagome would wake but as soon as she was done eating she would promptly fall back to sleep. But at least she was gaining some of her weight back and this pleased him.

He walked out of his chambers heading for his youngest son's room. When he reached the door the barrier wouldn't let him through. He could tell that the barrier still belonged to his son so there was no threat. Then he heard the gentle purrs of Kagome as she moaned, and he heard his son's growls of pleasure as he slowly backed away from the door.

He smiled knowing that they would both be down for breakfast in a while. He went back to his room and waited another 30 minutes before he walked down stairs.

He told the guards that his youngest son would be coming down the stairs soon. They were to keep their distance from his mate if they wanted to continue to breathe. The guards understood his instructions as they saw him walking away.

The guards didn't doubt his word because the rumors going around the castle about Sesshomaru's brother were very frightening. It was said that he held great powers and that he was very protective of his mate. They didn't want to get killed so they will stay away from him as much as possible.

Inutaisho greeted the staff as he walked into the dining hall. He informed them that his youngest son and mate would be coming down to eat instead of him taking the food upstairs. He told them that he was going to wait for them to come down before he sat down to eat.

The staff gave him their thanks for the information, as they got busy putting out additional place settings for them. They went into the kitchen to inform the cooks as they all started to get busy preparing the food.

oOo

After they had bathed together, at Kagome's insistence that he join her in the shower so he could wash her hair. Inuyasha and Kagome finally stepped out of their room for the first time in over a week.

Inuyasha was keeping Kagome close to him as they made their way down the stairs looking for his father.

One of the guards was brave enough to step forward, when he saw them coming down the hallway, as he bowed and said, "My Lord and Lady, I can show you were the dining hall is if you wish."

Inuyasha started to growl the moment the youkai guard started to speak. Kagome placed a hand on his chest as she patted him lightly to calm him down and she said to the guard, "Thank you, we appreciate the help in finding the dining hall. Have you seen Lord Inutaisho this morning?"

"Yes, my Lady, he went down to eat a short time ago. I believe he is still in the dining hall. If you would follow me I will show you the way." Said the guard as he bowed and then turned around to show them the way to the dining hall.

Inuyasha was still holding on to his mate as they continued to walk down to the dining hall. He felt really uncomfortable and was keeping his senses open for any approaching danger.

Kagome was trying to keep calm. Inuyasha was so protective of her now that she was weak that it was putting her on edge. She had to keep her own senses open. Incase her mate took other peoples intensions the wrong way. He could be a little too protective at times, as he would strike first, and ask questions later.

Now that her mate was a full demon she could feel that he was much stronger than before. He might be stronger than his father but she will never know for sure because there was always a part of him that he kept deeply hidden, even from her.

They walked into the dining hall and Inuyasha's father greeted them. They all sat down together and had their breakfast as Inutaisho brought them both up to speed on anything he had heard since the defeat of the Northern territories.

When they were done eating Kagome wanted to go outside. She was tired of staying in bed all the time and she wanted some fresh air.

Inuyasha protested loudly that she needed to take it easy and that she should be lying down in bed. But one look from his mate shut his mouth. She can look really scary when she was mad and he had no desire of getting on her bad side.

They walked around the garden as Kagome admired the beautiful flowers that were blooming. 'It feels good to get out of that stuffy room. I love being outdoors and I've missed it terribly.'

They continued to walk until Kagome spotted a big tree and went to sit down to rest. She wasn't used to moving around so much and she was getting tired.

Inuyasha moved behind her as he brought her close into his chest and lowered the both of them to the ground. He brought her into his lap so she could rest comfortably. She knew that her mate was feeling vulnerable right now because they weren't home and this place was unfamiliar to him. She relaxed into his arms and fell asleep without any assistance from her mate, much to his surprise.

Inuyasha looked down at his mate and found that she had fallen asleep on her own while she was resting against his chest. He was content with just holding her in his arms and enjoyed her warmth.

Inuyasha and his father sat there and talked while Kagome slept. It had been a while since they talked and it felt good just to have a normal conversation without either of them losing their tempers.

They were both sitting there enjoying each other's company when Inuyasha picked up a new scent. He raised his nose into the air and sniffed as he picked up the scent his brother. A low growl started to come out of his chest as he showed his displeasure at his brother being so close to his mate.

Kagome started to growl at being disturbed from her sleep as she touched her mate's mind, 'Inuyasha, what's wrong? Are we in danger?'

Inuyasha's growls quickly stopped as he heard his mates concerns. 'No we are not in danger, it's just my brother. He is coming this way with his mate.'

When Kagome heard that Jinx was coming she started to stir in his arms. She opened her eyes to see Jinx making her way towards her. Kagome was trying to sit up but Inuyasha was holding on to her.

Kagome looked at her mate as she started to growl but her protest went unheard as he pulled her closer into his chest. She knew that she was never going to get out of his grip. Her mate was determined to protect her so she settled back on his lap as he quickly calmed down and stopped his growling.

Sesshomaru saw his brother as they were approaching, he was not at all happy about being this close to him. His mate had insisted that they come and acknowledge his brother and his mate because it was the proper thing to do since they were staying at the castle.

He heard his brother's growls as his mate tried to leave his lap. When she settled down and rested against his chest he stopped his growling and calmed down.

They were still eyeing each other to make sure neither of them would attack.

Inutaisho was watching everything with amusement in his eyes. He saw as Sesshomaru and his mate walked right up and greeted them as Jinx took a seat right next to him. Sesshomaru followed suit as Inuyasha grip tightened around his mate.

'Inuyasha, please loosen your grip on me. It hurts.' Thought Kagome to her mate, he was squeezing her too hard.

Inuyasha immediately relaxed his grip as he felt her lean back into his arms. He offered his apologies to her, as he nipped her ear. He relaxed as he turned his head away from his brother not willing to speak to him.

Inutaisho was now definitely amused. He knew Sesshomaru would never offer his apologies for the way he treated his brother and Inuyasha was not willing to talk to him unless he did.

They all sat around not speaking when Inutaisho said, "Jinx, let me introduce you to Sesshomaru's brother. This is Inuyasha, Kagome's mate."

Jinx turned toward Inuyasha as he bowed his head in greetings to her. To Jinx's delight she saw two perfectly cute dog ears on top of his head and said, "Wow, those are so cute."

Inuyasha blushed as he turned away from her and hid his face behind Kagome's head. He knew that she was talking about his ears and it was a very sore spot with him and his brother.

He heard his mate giggle as she turned her body closer to his to comfort. 'Don't worry mate I won't let her touch my ears.' Kagome thought to her mate as she started to purr and Inuyasha brought her closer to him.

Jinx turned to her mate and said, "Sesshy why don't you have cute ears like your brother?"

Everyone heard her comment and waited for Sesshomaru to explode.

Sesshomaru looked at his mate and for the first time since he had known her she had actually made him mad. "Those cute ears, as you call them, mark him as a half breed. I'm of pure blood. So don't think that we are the same."

Sesshomaru heard several growls coming from around him as he looked up to see that Kagome and his father were both staring at him.

Kagome couldn't believe what she heard. They come all this way to help them defeat the evil on this land and he still called his brother a half-breed. This hurt her deeply as she said, "Sesshomaru, your brother may be of half blood but he is more demon than you. If I ever hear you calling my mate a half-breed again you will feel my wrath. Not even your father will be able stop me from hurting you."

Kagome's anger was so great that her eyes flashed red. She was shaking with rage as her mate held her closer to him. Kagome closed her eyes as she concentrated and then they were gone.

Inutaisho was on his feet in an instant when he saw them disappear from sight, he was enraged at his eldest son for the way he treated his brother. "In all my years of walking this earth you have never heard me call anyone a half breed.

Why Sesshomaru? Why would you hurt your brother like this? He comes all this way to protect your land, helps you defeat this evil, and this is how you repay him, by calling him a half-breed. You better hope that they are still here because if they're gone and anything happens to Kagome you will be responsible."

Inutaisho left his son sitting under the tree as he went looking for his youngest son. He knew that they had to be close by because Kagome had not recovered fully from her ordeal of breaking all of the necklaces. He didn't think she could teleport all the way back to the Western Lands.

Jinx was shocked at the outburst of her mate's family. She didn't know that his ears signified that he was a half-breed. She looked at her mate and he was still fuming over what happened.

Jinx got up from the ground and said in a small low voice, "I'm sorry Sesshy that your family is mad at you. I didn't know his ears signified that he was not of pure blood. I just thought they were cute."

Jinx took a deep breath as she continued, "But you have no right to call him a half-breed because if we were ever to have any pups that's what they'll be. Will you deny them too? Will you hate them as much as you despise your brother? Because if you do then our mating was a mistake."

Jinx turned on her heels and walked away from her mate in tears. She didn't know he hated his brother because he was a half-breed, as she quickly made her way into the castle.

Sesshomaru sat there and thought about everything that had happened. His mate was right. If they ever had any pups they would be half-breeds just like his brother. He could never deny his own blood.

He stood as he followed his mate toward the castle. He had to apologies to her because their mating was not a mistake. He loves her and he will always protect her and their pups.

oOo

Inutaisho quickly made his way into the castle going up to the upper levels looking for his son and mate. He was sure that the only place that Kagome could teleport to was here because he knew she was still very weak.

He made it to the room to discover that there was a very strong barrier placed there. He approached with care, he didn't know if his son was mad at him for staying here or not.

To his relief, when he touched the barrier it opened to let him enter the room. He quickly opened the door and walked in. He looked around the room and spotted his son sitting on the bed with Kagome in his arms asleep.

He swiftly made his way over to them as he asked, "How's Kagome? Is she all right?"

He saw when his son lifted his head up and looked at him. The hurt in his eyes were great as he said, "She's asleep. Teleporting us here really took it out of her. She shouldn't have done it. It's going to take another couple of days for her to recover. When she is strong enough to travel we are going back to the Western Lands."

Inutaisho understood his son's request, he was hurt very deeply and he wanted to leave, but with his mate being this weak, he couldn't risk moving her. "I understand. I will have your meals sent up here until such time as she is able to travel back home. I'm sorry Inuyasha, I thought that it would be good for you to get to know your brother but it seems that some feelings never die."

Inuyasha just looked away from his father not willing to speak to him. He was hurt that after everything he did for his brother he still rejected him as family. He wanted to leave; he wanted to go home but with his mate so weak he couldn't take the chance of traveling back home until she was strong enough.

Inuyasha placed his mate on the bed to allow her to sleep. He gazed upon her sleeping form as he sighed. He knew his father was still there as he said, "What did I do wrong to make him hate me so much?"

Inutaisho heard his son's words and his heart broke. He walked over and sat by him on the bed. He pulled his son into his embrace and nuzzled him under his chin as he said, "You did nothing wrong my son. I'm at fault here because I fell in love with your mother. I should have stopped this a long time ago, but I didn't.

Demon and human mating were almost non-existent at the time I meet your mother. I fell in love with her and brought her back to the Western Lands to be my mate. She endured a lot of heart ships because no one really accepted her.

When you came along you were the brightest star that shown for her. She loved you dearly in life and she still protects you in death."

Inuyasha heard his father's words, all this because his mother was a human. He felt when his father pulled him closer into his chest as a wave of emotion encircled his soul. He finally felt, for the very first time in his life, his father's love for him.

It was the first time that he had ever felt any emotion coming from his father as he pulled him closer into his chest. Inuyasha couldn't help it. He leaned into his fathers embrace and cried. He let out all of his pain and sorrow that he was feeling and wept in his father's arms.

Inutaisho held his son to comfort him. This was the first time that he had ever seen his son cry. It hurt him deeply to be treated this way and he was at a loss for how to fix it.

They stayed like that for a while when they heard Kagome moan. Inuyasha quickly sat up as he left his fathers embrace.

Kagome moaned again as he reached up with his clawed hand and scratched her ear. She settled down again as she continued to sleep.

Inutaisho got up from the bed, as he made his way out of the room, his heart was filled with sorrow for his youngest son. Once he walked out of the room and he closed the door behind him the barrier came up to effectively seal Inuyasha and Kagome in the room.

He started to go to his room when he heard the sound of running feet coming towards him. He caught Jinx's scent along with the scent of her tears, she was crying as he went to see what was wrong.

oOo

Jinx was running down the hallway trying to make it back to her room. She wanted to get her computer so she could leave. If she had known that her mate was like this she would have never consented to being his mate.

She continued to run when she stopped in mid stride and collapsed on the floor in pain. She was crying and curled up in a ball, when Inutaisho finally found her after about a minute.

Inutaisho saw Jinx on the ground as he ran towards her. He noticed that she was in a great deal of pain as he called for one of the guards. The guards quickly came as he asked, "Are there any healers in the castle?"

The guards looked at each other then one of them said, "No my Lord, they are still tending to the wounded and have not returned back to their duties."

Inutaisho cursed under his breath as he picked Jinx up in his arms. "Go and find my son. Tell him that his mate has taken ill and that she will be in his brothers room."

The guards quickly bowed and left the area as they ran to find their lord.

Inutaisho didn't waste any time as he rushed back to Inuyasha's room with Jinx in his arms. When he got there he hoped that he could get into the room with Jinx. He was surprised when the barrier parted to give him access to the room. He hurried inside as he looked for his son. He was still sitting by his mate when he entered the room with Jinx in his arms.

"Inuyasha she needs Kagome's help. She is in a lot of pain and there are no healers in the castle." Said his father in a rush.

"I'm sorry but Kagome won't wake up. I tired when I heard Jinx crying in the hallway. What's wrong with her?" asked Inuyasha with a voice full of concern.

"I don't know she was running back here when she collapsed in pain." Said his father.

Inuyasha looked at Jinx as he asked his father to place her on the bed. Inutaisho quickly moved and did as he requested as he watched what his son was going to do.

Inuyasha sat by Jinx as he looked at her. 'Mother, what can I do to help her? I don't know the first thing about healing. Kagome has been teaching me but we have never cover this part.'

Inuyasha felt the gentle touch of his mothers voice in his head as she said, 'I will help you my son. First you must calm her because if you don't she will loose the pup she is carrying.'

Inuyasha's eyes grew big when he heard his mothers comments, 'No wonder she's in a lot of pain. Her body is rejecting the pup.' He placed his hand on her forehead as he allowed his healing powers to come forth and put her to sleep. She needed this in order for her body to stop rejecting the pup.

Jinx finally fell asleep. The lines on her face were finally going away as she fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

Inuyasha sighed as he was rubbing his temples trying to get rid of the headache he was getting. He placed his hand just above her breast as he started to channel his healing energy into her body.

At first only his hands were glowing blue, then his whole body was engulfed in the blue hue that filled the room. When he thought he had enough energy he released his healing aura as it engulfed Jinx's body.

Jinx's body turned a bright blue as the healing aura did its work. Inuyasha was panting hard as he said his thanks to his mother for helping him.

He turned to his father and said, "Her body, for now, has stopped rejecting the pup she is carrying, but this will happen again if she gets upset."

Inuyasha tried to get up from the bed but as soon as he put his weight on his legs he fell forward, exhausted from healing Jinx.

Inutaisho was at his son's side the moment he started to fall, he caught him in his arms and picked him up. He knew his son had over done it but he was willing to help his brothers mate.

He took Inuyasha to the other side of the bed as he laid him down by his mate so he could rest. He was proud of his son for not taking out his frustrations at his brother's mate. He gently scratched one of his ears as he saw him relax and fell into a deeper sleep.

He heard the sound of running feet as he left his son's room to wait for his eldest son. It was now time for a little father and son talk.

oOo

The guards quickly ran down the stairs as they took off trying to find their lord. They ran outside toward the garden where he was last seen. But to their surprise Sesshomaru was not there. They started to sniff the area to see if they could pick up on his scent.

They finally caught his scent as they took off following his scent deeper into the forest.

Sesshomaru was just walking around in a daze. He started to go after his mate but instead he headed into the forest to think. His mate's words hurt him deeply. He must've hurt her more if she wasn't willing to have his pups. 'She thinks that I will reject our pups. How could I? There're a part of me and I could never reject them.' Thought Sesshomaru as he stopped his wondering through the forest.

He felt that two youkai were looking for him as he turned in their direction. They came quickly running up to him, glad to have found him, as they both skidded to a stop. The nearest guard had finally caught his breath as he quickly said, "My Lord your mate has taken ill and Lord Inutaisho has taken her to your brothers chambers."

Sesshomaru's heart just fell when he heard their words. He turned and rushed back to the castle to see about his mate. He was making his way to the upper portions of the castle when he met his father in the hallway.

When Sesshomaru stopped in front of his father he saw the expression on his face. His heart was racing with fear as he asked, "Where's Jinx? Is she all right?"

Inutaisho look at his son and said, "Yes, your mate is fine for now. Your brother used what little strength he had recovered to heal her. She is asleep for the moment, she needs her rest."

Sesshomaru became enraged when his father told him that his brother had healed her. "What do you mean my brother healed her? He's not a healer. Where is she? I want my mate so she can be tended to properly." He tried to move past his father but he was grabbed by the neck and pinned to the wall.

The guards seeing that their lord was being attacked quickly made to protect him as Inutaisho lashed out with his other hand and blasted them away from him. He growled as he said, "Do not interfere with what I'm doing with my son or it will be your death." The guards quickly got to their feet and moved away from the area not wishing to be killed at the moment.

Inutaisho then turned his attention to his arrogant son and said, "You ungrateful pup. Now you will listen to what I have to say. Your brother doesn't understand what he has done wrong to make you hate him so much. He has tried to gain your favor and you reject him every chance you get. He had every right to refuse to help your mate but his heart is so pure that he couldn't stand to see her in such pain.

He stopped her body from rejecting the pup because you, who claim to be of pure blood, didn't even know that your mate is carrying your pup. Your hatred towards your brother has caused her body to reject the one thing that you want the most. She can't bear the thought of bringing a pup into this world that would be rejected by its own father.

If she continues to get upset she will lose the pup and then you will lose everything. You better rethink your ideas about half-breeds because right now you have one on the way.

Jinx has every right to reject you as a mate unless you change your ways and if she leaves you there is nothing you could do about it."

Sesshomaru heard his father's words as he stopped struggling in his grasp. He didn't know that his mate was carrying his pup as he looked at his father and said, "She's carrying my pup?"

Inutaisho nostrils flared as he growled, "Yes, she is carrying your pup. Your brother knew two days after his mate conceived his pup and was protecting her from that day forward, but you didn't even know that your own mate is carrying your pup!"

Inutaisho released his son as he turned and went back into his youngest son's room. He came back out a few minutes later with Jinx's sleeping form in his arms as he approached his son.

He handed Jinx to him and said, "We have done all we can for her the rest is up to you. We are leaving as soon as Inuyasha and Kagome are strong enough to travel." He turned on his heels and went into his room as he left his son to ponder his fate.

Sesshomaru looked at his mate and breathed in her scent. His father was right she is carrying his pup. 'How could I have missed something this important to me?' He carried his mate back to his room as he pondered what his father had said. He will have to speak to her when she wakes up. He would have to make amends for what he has done.

oOo

Sesshomaru was beside himself as he saw his mate in a deep sleep. He had been awake all night keeping a silent vigil over her sleeping form. He didn't know if her body would reject the pup she was carrying. It hurt him to think that she didn't want the pup she was carrying because of him.

He was standing by the balcony door looking out over the horizon, as the sun was about to come up. He heard his mate moan as he turned towards her to see how she was feeling. He saw her moving on the bed as he walked over to her.

Jinx started to stir as she slowly opened her eyes. She was confused to see where she was. The last thing she remembered was being in tremendous pain and then being picked up by Sesshomaru's father.

When her eyes came into focus she saw her mate standing over her as she groaned. She didn't want to be anywhere near him at the moment. He had issues that he had to work out before she could even think about being with him.

Jinx tried to get out of bed, but when she put her feet on the ground her mate was at her side in an instant, "Jinx, you need to rest. You are not fully recovered from your ordeal yesterday." Said a worried Sesshomaru as he eyed his mate with concern.

Jinx didn't care she wanted to leave. She tried to stand but Sesshomaru grabbed her and pushed her back on the bed. Jinx became enraged as she said, "Don't touch me! Don't you ever touch me again, you have no right."

"What do you mean that I have no right? I'm your mate and I have every right to touch you." Said an exasperated Sesshomaru as he looked at his mate.

Jinx just flared her nostrils as she slowly stood up from the bed. She wanted to leave. She loved him dearly but he had to learn what it was like to be rejected because of what you are. He had never had to endure that and she was about to teach him.

Sesshomaru went to touch his mate and Jinx quickly pulled her sword from its sheath as she pointed it at his throat. "I said you have no right to touch me. I'm leaving and there is nothing you can do about it. You have made your bed now lye in it.

Remember Sesshomaru that I'm a half-breed and that's the one thing in your life that you hate the most isn't it. I will take my pup and raise it myself. I would prefer for it to have only my love than to be rejected by its father."

Sesshomaru was shaking with rage as he tried to reason with his mate. "Jinx, I will never reject my own pup! It will be of my own flesh and blood. How could I reject it? I love you and I want our pup. Can't you see that?"

The tears were going down Jinx cheeks as she looked at her mate. She saw no remorse at all in his eyes. She knew that he would reject her and her pup when the time came. "You are going to have to prove to me that you will love this pup because I will never stay here as long as you hate half breeds.

You are going to have to apologize to your brother for everything you have ever done to him. If he rejects your apologies then your going to have to beg him to accept it because until he accepts you as his brother and you accept him as your equal there can never be a family.

I'm a half-breed and our pup will be a half-breed, puppy ears and all. It will never be a pure blood like you. If you can't protect us then I'm going away to protect my pup because I'm not about to let anyone hurt it."

She looked at her mate for a few minutes, he didn't move or say anything. She put her sword back in its sheath as she said, "I thought so." Jinx turned on her heels and grabbed her laptop as she left the room she was in.

Jinx had no idea where she was going to go. She was a demon now and she couldn't go back home. She couldn't stay in his kingdom because they would hunt her down and kill her pup. She continued to walk as she came upon Lord Inutaisho room. She stopped in front of his door as she took a deep breath to calm herself and knocked.

oOo

Inutaisho was standing by the window looking out over the horizon. He thought that by spending some time here with his eldest son that maybe he could get both of his sons to accept one another.

But Sesshomaru had other ideas as he rejected his younger brother even after he came here to help protect his lands. He sighed as he continued to think when he heard a gentle knock on his door. He turned around and said, "Come In."

Jinx heard his words and slowly opened the door to his room. She stepped in as she slowly made her way towards him.

Inutaisho looked at Jinx with concern as he walked in her direction and said, "Is something wrong, Jinx?"

Jinx looked up from the ground and tried to speak but she completely broke down and cried as she fell to her knees.

Inutaisho rushed to her side as he picked her up and placed her in a chair. He went into the bathroom and got a warm washcloth. He came back and started to clean her face of all the dried tears she had, along with her new ones. Once he saw that Jinx had some of her control back he said, "Now, what's wrong? What did my son say to you?"

Jinx was fighting with herself to keep her emotions in check. She was an emotional wreck as she tried to speak to him. She took a couple of deep breath to calm herself as she started to speak, "I was wondering, when you left to go back to the Western Lands if you would take me with you?"

Her statement caught him completely off guard. "Jinx, what did my son say to you? Has he rejected you as a mate?"

"No, he hasn't rejected me as a mate. I rejected him. I can't stay in a place where I know that my pup will never be loved and accepted. He has to prove to me that he really loves me and that he will love this pup. I told him that he would have to apologize to his brother and accept him as his equal before I would even consider staying here with him." Said Jinx in a low and dejected voice.

Inutaisho didn't know what to do. He knew that his son would not apologize to his youngest son and he would never accept him as an equal. He sighed as he said, "Jinx are you sure that this is what you want to do?"

Jinx looked up at him with tear soaked eyes and said, "Yes, this is what I want to do. I won't be a burden to you. I just want a lift to your kingdom. I know that your kingdom at least accept hanyou's because of your son. All I want is to find a peaceful place to live my life and raise my pup."

"No Jinx, if you come back with me then you will stay in my castle for as long as you want. I will not have my grand pups unprotected. I know that Sesshomaru is an arrogant pup and he will never accept his brother as an equal, but I will not turn my back on family. You will be well taken care of and so will the pup. I'm sure that Kagome's pup will love a playmate once yours is born." He said with a glimmer in his eyes.

Jinx laughed and said, "When you are ready to leave please let me know and I will join you. For now I will be located in the next room."

Jinx got up and left Inutaisho room as she said her thanks to him. She never dreamed that he would accept her as family. Sesshomaru had a lot to learn. If he even wanted to be a great ruler like his father.

oOo

Sesshomaru was in his room steaming. 'How can she ask me to accept my worthless brother as my equal? He will never be my equal. But then again if I don't accept him as my equal can I accept my pups? Is Jinx right? Do I have a problem with accepting half-breeds? Will I reject my pups because of this?' There were so many things running through his mind that he didn't know what to do.

He knew that he loved his mate dearly, and that he would do anything for her. It was his fault for not educating her on demon customs. She didn't know that the ears meant that his brother was a half-breed. The one thing that he hated most in his life was a half-breed but now that he was mated to a human their pups will be half-breeds as well.

Sesshomaru continued to ponder what to do about his mate. He wanted her back and he wanted his pup. He longed to have a family of his own and he could have one with his mate if he just made up his mind on what he wanted to do. He knew that Jinx wouldn't leave his kingdom. She was a demon now and she wouldn't fit in the human world. So he had some time to think about what he wanted to do.

oOo

The next morning Inutaisho told Inuyasha and Kagome that Jinx was coming with them to the Western Lands. He told them everything that transpired between Jinx and Sesshomaru and they both understood.

Inutaisho asked Kagome to go and get Jinx. She was located in the room next to them so he could have a few minutes to talk to his son. Kagome agreed and left the room with a loud protest from her mate.

"Inuyasha, I know that you are upset about having your mate gone for a few minutes but I need to talk to you without Kagome being here." Said Inutaisho with concern in his voice.

Inuyasha had never seen his father so upset before as he settled down and listened to what he had to say, "Inuyasha, I'm afraid that the only way we are going to get Jinx and Sesshomaru back together again will be if you fight and defeat him. He will never learn his place if you don't."

Inuyasha was shocked to hear what his father just said, "Are you serious? You really want me to fight him?"

"Yes, I know that you can defeat him. I don't want you to kill him but I do want you to teach him a lesson when the time comes. He needs to learn his place and until you teach him that lesson their will never be peace between our families.

Jinx does love your brother but she is unwilling to stay with him if he doesn't show her that he is willing to treat you as an equal. I will handle Kagome when the times comes." Inutaisho was very serious about his request to his son. He wanted Inuyasha to deal the punishment that he deserved.

Inuyasha agreed to his request although under protest. He really didn't want to fight his brother but he would if it will end everything that was happening.

They both walked next door to get Kagome and Jinx as they left the castle. When they walked outside Inutaisho summoned his transportation cloud as they all got on and they left the Eastern Lands heading home. They didn't see Sesshomaru before they left which only meant that he would be coming to the Western Lands to get his mate. But by the time he got there they would all be ready to welcome the great Lord of the Eastern Lands to bring him down a notch.

oOo

They arrived at the Western Lands later that morning. They were all tired from their long journey as Inuyasha carried Kagome up to their room to rest.

Inutaisho showed Jinx to her room and he told her that he would come back later to show her around the castle. Jinx thanked him as she went to get some rest. She too was tired from the journey back to his home.

Her room was big and beautiful. She had everything she needed and she would want for nothing. Her heart ached as she thought about her mate. He didn't even come to reconcile his differences with his brother. To her that meant that their mating was a mistake and that he didn't want the pup she was carrying.

She walked over to the bed and started to cry. She was alone now and she had to deal with her becoming a mother on her own. She laid down and continued to cry until she fell asleep exhausted from her travel.

oOo

Inutaisho walked into his office after being gone two weeks to the Eastern Lands. A lot of things needed his attention as he sat at his desk and started going through all the papers lying there. He worked for a good portion of the day as he got a lot of work done. He looked up from his desk to see that it was late afternoon and he had promised Jinx that he would get her for a tour of his castle.

He left his office as he made his way toward Jinx's room. He knocked on the door and waited for her to answer. Jinx came to the door with a bright smile on her face as she greeted him.

Inutaisho could tell that she had been crying as he escorted her through the castle and showed her around.

Jinx was enjoying the tour, the castle was beautiful and it had a beautiful garden out in back. They walked for a while until they came to a big tree and they both sat down to rest.

Inutaisho watched Jinx as he saw the sadness in her eyes. He knew that she missed her mate as he said, "You miss him don't you?"

Jinx looked up from her lap and gave a small laugh, "Is it that obvious?"

Inutaisho chuckled, "Yes, I can see it in your eyes. You know Jinx my son is very stubborn; it will take him a while to figure out that you're gone and where to find you. But when he does he will be coming here looking for you. I know for a fact that he loves you but until Inuyasha teaches him a lesson he will not accept his brother as his equal."

Jinx nodded her head in understanding. She did know that her mate was very stubborn but she just hoped that he came to his senses very soon.

oOo

Two days had passed and Sesshomaru had finally come to a decision. He would apologized to his brother and accept him as family. He would get his mate back and they would finally be a family.

He stepped out of his bedchambers as he went looking for his mate. He found that his father, brother, and his brother's mate were gone from his castle. He learned that they had left two days ago. When he asked if they had seen his mate the guards looked at each other and then swallowed hard as one of them said, "My Lord your mate went with them."

Sesshomaru became enraged at hearing that his mate had left the Eastern Lands and went with his father. He stormed out of the castle as he summoned his transportation cloud and went after his mate.

He was going to settle this matter once and for all. He was going to bring back his mate; this was something that he was not going to back down from as he raced through the air heading west.

oOo

In the days that followed their return from the Eastern Lands Jinx had settled in on her new life. She resigned herself to being alone for the rest of her life since her mate didn't want anything to do with her.

She had talked to Kagome and she was teaching her how to fight. Kagome was an expert fighter with a sword and she had asked her to teach her how to use her sword effectively. Kagome agreed to show her some new moves with a loud protest from her mate. He didn't want her training any more because she was getting too big.

Kagome told Inuyasha that the practice was going to be light and that Jinx, although an excellent fighter was not that strong. She would just be showing her some moves and if she really wanted to learn how to weld her sword that he would have to teach her. He was the more logical choice to show her because his sword was also made from his father's fang.

So under his ever-watchful eye Kagome showed Jinx some new moves. Jinx was a quick learner as she mastered every move she showed her. Kagome would then spar with her but she wasn't even using a tenth of her powers against Jinx.

Kagome was pushing Jinx to do better as she went after her. She continued to swing her sword in an arc to see if Jinx could block it.

Jinx blocked but couldn't think fast enough to go on the attack. At one point Kagome hit her sword and Jinx went flying backwards as she landed on her back with Kagome standing over her with her sword at her throat.

Kagome giggled as she said, "Jinx, you can never lose your focus in a fight because if you ever do you will die. That should have been the first rule your mate should have taught you." The words sounded very familiar to Kagome as she remembered the first time she was practicing with Inuyasha's father and she had lost her focus on what she was doing.

Kagome removed her sword from Jinx's neck as she reach out with her hand to help her up. Kagome's sense burst into action as she jumped back before she got attacked.

oOo

Inuyasha was sitting under a tree watching as his mate practiced with Jinx. He admired how she could still move even with her breeding belly getting larger.

He heard a noise off to his side as he turned in time to see his father coming towards him.

Inutaisho walked over to his son and sat next to him under the tree. "I see that Jinx is getting a lot better with her sword. Soon you will have to show her how to unleash the power of her sword so she can defend herself. Kagome will never be able to show her because it will take too much of her energy."

Inuyasha slowly nodded his agreement to his father. He would have to show Jinx how to release the power of the sword once she had a good concept on how to wield it.

Inuyasha sat straight up as he picked up a scent that he didn't like. He was on his feet in an instant as he rushed to his mate's side with his sword drawn.

He saw his brother attack his mate, as she was about to help Jinx stand up from getting knocked to the ground, when she had lost her focus. He jumped in front of his mate protecting her as his brother stood in front of his mate protecting her.

Jinx became enraged as she saw her mate going after Kagome. "Sesshomaru! What are you doing? She was teaching me how to handle my sword better. Why did you attack her?"

Sesshomaru didn't listen to his mate as he barred his fangs at Inuyasha. "So half breed, you bring my mate back here so you could attack her! How dare you think that I will not defend her!"

Kagome became enraged as Sesshomaru called her mate a half-breed again. She had warned him not to do it, as she got ready to attack. She brought up her sword as she aimed it at Sesshomaru getting ready to unleash its power when she was grabbed from behind.

She let out a howl of anger as Inutaisho quickly brought his hand up to that certain spot in the back of her neck and squeezed as she fell unconscious in his arms.

Inuyasha had quickly turned around when he heard his mate howl in anger. When he saw his father with his mate in his arms he knew that he would take care of her until he was done. He had said that he would handle Kagome when the time came and he did.

Inutaisho turned to Jinx as he said, "Jinx, come with me."

Jinx was trying to leave to go towards Inutaisho when her mate blocked her escape. She became enraged as she leaped over him and started to run away from him. Sesshomaru started to go after her but his brother block him from reaching her.

Sesshomaru became enraged as he said, "So half breed you want to take on this Sesshomaru! I will show you no mercy."

Inuyasha smirked as he said, "Feh, I'm going to teach you a lesson that you will never forget." As he sheath his sword.

Inuyasha faced his brother; his brother had no idea the power he held, as he got ready to fight him.

Sesshomaru got ready to attack. He was going to prove once and for all that his brother was not his equal. He brought his fingers together as his hand started to glow green. He released his energy whip as it went towards his brother.

Inuyasha saw what he was doing as he stood his ground and didn't even move. As the whip came towards him he just batted it away from him like it was a fly that was annoying him.

Sesshomaru was taken by surprise that his whip had no affect on him. He had killed countless demons with his whip but it never reached his brother. He became enraged as he attacked his brother with his poison claws.

Inuyasha saw him coming towards him as he just stood there waiting for him. When he was close enough to him he sent a blast of his mahoutsukai powers towards him. It was a powerful blast but not enough to purify him. It hit his brother in the chest as it sent him flying through the air. He landed about 20 feet away from where he stood.

Sesshomaru was panting hard when he finally made it up to his feet. He couldn't believe that his brother had this kind of power. He had not been able to land a blow yet as he was slowly beating him in this fight. He took out his sword as he rushed in to do battle. He was going to see how good a fighter he really was.

Inuyasha saw as his brother drew his sword. He shook his head thinking, 'He's not going to give up. I'm going to have to take him down in order for him to submit to me before he makes me kill him.' He drew his sword as he waited for his brother.

The sound of clashing swords was heard as they fought each other.

Inuyasha was blocking all of his brother's hits as his brother tried to push him back. Inuyasha was holding his own against him. He was not as strong as his father or his mate. He started to attack him as he was pushing him backwards.

Sesshomaru was losing his advantage in the fight. His brother was a lot stronger than he was letting on. He pressed his advantage as he pushed him back wondering where in the hell did he ever get so much power. He felt stronger than his father and he was beginning to wonder if his brother was more than his equal.

They continued trading blows, as Inuyasha was growing tired of the fight. He wanted to end this because if his mate woke up to find him still fighting with his brother she will hurt him.

Inuyasha pressed forward as he attacked his brother with more force. He knocked the sword out of his hand as he sent it flying through the air. He landed a perfect hit to his chest as Sesshomaru went backwards to land on his back.

Sesshomaru was panting hard as he opened his eyes to see his brother standing over him with his sword at his throat. He couldn't believe that a half-breed had beaten him. He was hurt and he was bleeding from a cut on his face.

Inuyasha looked at his brother and then said, "You know that I could kill you right now and end all of this fighting, but then I would hurt your mate if I did.

I know that my mate will not hesitate to hurt you even worse than I did if you ever call me a half-breed again. I am not your equal. I'm better than you'll ever be. You can never hope to defeat me in a fight."

Sesshomaru heard his words as he admitted defeat. He spoke the truth that he could never beat him in a fight. He was more powerful than he was and he could kill him if he wanted. He resigned to his fate as he waited for his brother to finish him off. But to his surprise he never did. He sheathed his sword back, turned, and walked away from him.

"Why didn't you kill me? I would have not hesitated to kill you if the situations were reversed." Said Sesshomaru with shock in his voice that his brother didn't kill him.

Inuyasha stopped in his tracks as he heard his brother. He never turned around as he spoke to him, "Because whether you want to admit it or not you are still my brother and I can never kill you. You may not accept me as your brother and that's fine with me. But if you ever go after my mate again I will not hesitate to kill you. She is everything to me and I will defend her with my life."

Inuyasha continued to walk to where his father was standing with Kagome's sleeping form in his arms. He reached for his mate as he took her from him and cradled her in his arms. He kissed her gently on the forehead as he made his way into the castle to let her rest.

Sesshomaru was still on the ground unable to get up from the beating his brother had just given him. He saw his father coming towards him, as he was ready to receive the tongue lashing of his life.

Inutaisho stopped just a foot away from his son as he looked at him. His youngest son really did a number on his brother. He had beaten him severely and he was unable to move.

He looked at his son as he said, "I hope that your brother has taught you a lesson here today. Just because he is a half-breed doesn't mean he's weaker than you. He could have killed you if he wanted to.

He has mahoutsukai powers and he could have just purified you to oblivion, but he chose not to. He has proven more than enough times that he is the better demon here and if I ever hear you calling him a half-breed again. You will feel my wrath." He turned and walked away from his son as he passed Jinx and winked at her.

Jinx smiled as he left her alone with Sesshomaru. He was in bad shape as she approached him. She kneed down in front of him waiting for him to acknowledge her presence.

Sesshomaru could smell his mate was close to him, even with all of the blood he smelling. He looked up to see her sitting right in front of him, waiting. She was waiting to see why he had come there. He took a deep breath as he said, "Jinx, I'm… I'm sorry. I could never live my life without you. I love you and I want you to come back with me."

Jinx heard his words but she wasn't convinced that he had learned his lesson. "Well you know what you have to do in order for me to go back with you." She got up and left him there to think about what she said.

Sesshomaru understood her request. She would not go back with him until his brother had accepted him as a true brother. He now knew that Inuyasha was more than his equal and he would have to do as his mate asked if he even hoped to get her back. He sat there in the clearing until his wounds healed and he went in search of his brother, as he would try to apologies to him and his mate.

oOo

Kagome woke up with a start as she was remembering what had happened with Sesshomaru. She was growling fiercely as she tried to get up only to be pushed gently back down by her mate.

Inuyasha had been waiting for her to wake up. He knew she was going to be pissed for not dealing Sesshomaru some pain for calling him a half-breed. When she sat up with such speed, she had scared him half to death.

He reached for her shoulders as he pushed her back down to the bed. He looked at her with concern in his eyes as he tried to read her mood. She was mad and she wanted some satisfaction.

Kagome looked up to see her mate holding her down as she became enraged and said, "Were is that bastard! I owe him for calling you a half breed."

Inuyasha just chuckled as he leaned down and kissed his mate. She was angry and this was the only way to calm her down.

Kagome felt sweet hot lips on hers and she melted into her mates embrace. She saw him pull away from her as she said, "Don't even think that this is over. I will get your brother for what he said and your father too for subduing me and giving me this god awful headache."

"Well I don't think that Sesshomaru is in any condition to fight right now. I did beat him pretty badly and he is no condition to move." He said with pride to his mate.

"You fought with him?" asked a shocked Kagome.

Inuyasha smile spread across his face as he said, "Yes I did, and he's in bad shape."

"You mean to tell me that your father didn't stop you two from fighting?" Kagome still couldn't believe that he fought with his brother and that he was somehow not telling her the truth about what happened.

Inuyasha released his mate as he sat there and looked at her, then he said, "It was my fathers idea that I put him in his place. He wanted me to teach him a lesson that half breeds can be stronger than him."

Kagome understood what happened. In order for his brother to admit that Inuyasha was his equal her mate had to defeat him in battle. But she was still pissed that his father had knocked her out.

She reached for her forehead as she rubbed it. She still had the headache and it was irritating. She closed her eyes as she let her healing powers get rid of it. When she opened her eyes her mate was still there looking at her with concern. She smiled and said, "I'm fine mate. The headache is gone now."

Inuyasha smiled as he leaned down and kissed her. He was glad that she was feeling better but he would have to warn his father of her anger towards him and have him keep away from her for a little while.

Inuyasha and Kagome left the castle as they went walking in the garden. Kagome enjoyed her time there and they would always go for a little while so she could enjoy the fresh air. They continued to walk around until they found their favorite tree and sat down to rest.

Inuyasha held his mate in his lap as he held her close to him and he put his hand on her breeding belly. She was getting big and the pup was finally slowing her down. They sat there enjoying each other company when Inuyasha caught the scent of his brother coming towards him.

He tightened his hold on his mate as he saw him coming.

Kagome felt when her mate stiffened and held on to her tight, this only meant that someone was approaching that he didn't like. She couldn't move as long as he had her in his embrace when she looked up to see Sesshomaru making his way toward them.

She tried to move out of her mate's arms but he was holding on to her tight. He wasn't about to let her go anytime soon. She settled in his lap as she started to growl toward his brother, as her anger began to take over.

Sesshomaru approached his brother very slowly. He heard his mate's growls as he came closer and didn't want her to attack him. He knew that she could cause a lot more damage than his brother did and a pregnant female was something he didn't want to mess with.

When he was close enough that he could be heard he stopped his approach as he looked at his brother. This was hard for him. He never had to admit that he had been wrong all this time as he tried to find the words to speak to his brother.

Inuyasha watched as his brother approached. He was holding on to his mate because he knew she could hurt him severely. Something was telling him that his brother was not there for another fight but to talk. He continued to hold his mate as he heard his brother start to speak.

"Inuyasha, I wanted to apologize for the way I have treated you. You are my equal; as a matter of fact you are better than me. I'm sorry my brother for not acknowledging you in the past. But if you accept my apology you will never hear those words come out of my mouth ever again." Sesshomaru lowered his head waiting to see if his brother would accept his apology or if he would have to beg for it.

Inuyasha couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was apologizing for the way he had treated him. He noticed that his mate had stopped growling at his brother as she turned towards him to see what he would do.

He relaxed his grip on his mate as he turned to his brother and said, "Sesshomaru, all I ever wanted was to be your brother but you never gave me the chance. You looked at me like I was some sort of disease that could infect the population. I didn't want it to come down to this. But I accept your apology, I have your word that you will never use those words ever again because if you ever do I will let my mate have her fun with you."

Sesshomaru was surprised that he had accepted his apologies as he bowed in respect. He heard his brother's threat about the words and promised never to use them again.

Kagome finally relaxed in her mate's arms as she caught the auras of two very familiar people coming towards them. She looked up in time to see Jinx standing there with Inutaisho as she jumped for joy and rushed into her mate's arms.

Sesshomaru caught his mate in mid leap as he brought her closer to him. It felt good to have her in his arms once again as he leaned down and kissed her. When they finally broke apart they said their goodbyes as Jinx left with her mate to go back to the Eastern Lands.

Kagome was not about to let Inuyasha's father get away with knocking her out to enable her mate to fight with his brother. She was about to get out of Inuyasha's embrace as he held her tight and told his father to quickly leave before she got free from his grasp, that he would explain later.

Inutaisho didn't have to be told twice as he saw Kagome's eyes start to turn red from her anger, he knew she was mad at him for subduing her as he quickly walked away from his son and mate.

Kagome couldn't believe that her mate was holding on to her and wouldn't let her have her fun thrashing someone. He quickly turned her around in his grasp as he crashed his lips to hers. He kissed her deep and passionately as he felt his mate stop her struggling in his grasp. She finally relaxed in his arms as they continued to kiss and let his father get away from her to live another day.

oOo

Well this is the end to another chapter. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru finally come to an agreement. He forgave his brother for his arrogance as he accepted him as his brother. The Eastern and Western Lands were finally at peace and everyone had the mates that they wanted.

Sometimes parents say or do things that hurt their kids deeply. A misunderstand happens everyday in our lives. We try to overcome them but when we are pushed away from that parent we feel neglected or rejected because we think we have done something wrong. In the next chapter you will learn all about misunderstandings with one's parents and what a parent would do to keep their children happy.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

The days passed and Kagome was finally over her anger with her mate's father. She no longer wanted to thrash him for subduing her, but she kept a very close eye on him whenever he was around to make sure he never did it again.

Kagome was sitting under their favorite tree with her mate. Her heart ached because she had not seen her parents in a long time. She wanted to go and see them before the pup was born because she knew that once her due date came closer she would never be able to travel to see them. The problem was how to get there.

She couldn't travel through the forest like she used to, because she was getting big and it was becoming very uncomfortable for her. She knew that her mate couldn't carry her all the way because she was getting heavy.

Kagome sighed she was stuck in the Western Lands not being able to see her family and she missed them terribly.

Inuyasha was holding his mate in his lap when he felt her sadness. He didn't know what was wrong as he looked at her with concern. "Kagome? Why are you so sad?"

Kagome shifted in his lap as she tried to find the words to talk to him. She sighed again as she said, "I haven't seen my parents in a long time and I miss them. I want to go and see them but I don't know how we are going to get there. I'm bigger now and I know I weigh a lot more than I used to so you can't carry me there on your back.

I haven't been home since we defeated the Northern Lands and I want to go and see my parents. I know that your father told my dad that I had changed into a demon but he doesn't know that it's permanent."

Inuyasha heard his mates concerns and he thought about her request. They definitely couldn't travel on the ground. One there still could be danger and someone might try to attack them and two he didn't think his mate would be up to that long of a trip. He worried about her health now that she was six months pregnant.

The pup was growing strong everyday and it was taking a lot of her energy away. His mate never showed any signs that the pup ever affected her like other youkai pregnancies. But here lately she was showing all the signs of a normal youkai pregnancy and she was sleeping more.

He looked down at his mate as he said, "Don't worry Kagome, I will find a way that you can travel to see your parents and not make it a long trip for you."

Kagome was very happy to hear him say this as she nuzzled him under his chin and licked him. He started to growl low in his chest as he felt his mate's affection. He loved holding her in his arms and having her close to him.

Ever since they defeated the Northern Lands everything has settled down in their kingdoms. They weren't after them anymore and they were finally safe in his home. He finally had a chance to relax with his mate and not worry about her safety. But he was still protective of her. He guessed he would never back down from that.

He started to think of how they could travel back to see Kagome's parents and not take as long, so his mate wouldn't be put into danger. He thought about asking his father to take them but he has been busy with something for the last couple of weeks and he has not seen him as much.

Then he started to think about his father's transportation cloud and he wondered if he could summon one on his own. He never was strong enough before when his father was trying to teach him how to do it. He started to remember all of his lessons as he started to concentrate on it.

Kagome was asleep in his arms so it was safe for him to try. If he could summon one then he can take her to see her family and he wouldn't have to depend on his father to take them. Summoning the cloud was proving to be difficult. He would have to practice until he got it right.

Inuyasha continued to practice as he remembered all of his father's lesson. He finally got just a white puff of smoke to appear and thought that he was well on his way to making it. The cloud was solid and all he had to do was make it bigger.

Once he found out the right combinations of spells he finally got his cloud to appear. Now for the hard part, he would have to make it move through the air. His father had never told him how he could do that.

He started to think, 'It can't be that hard to move the cloud from point A to point B. I think my father moves it with his mind.'

When Kagome was laying down for her afternoon nap he went into the forest as he summoned his cloud. He got on as he concentrated on moving it. At first it would jerk forward or move sluggishly. Once he got the hang of it he was moving it with easy as he moved it around the trees. He was getting cocky as he tried to race the cloud through the forest with great speed. He had almost succeeded when he crashed into a tree.

Inuyasha got up from the ground, rubbing his head, as he looked around. 'Note to self, never race a cloud with Kagome on it.' He summoned his cloud again as he headed home, proud that he had managed to duplicate one of his father's powers.

The following morning Inuyasha went toward his father's office, he needed to tell him that he was going to leave for a few days and that he was taking Kagome with him. He never saw him anymore so he thought that he might be able to find him in his office early in the morning before he took off.

As luck would have it his father was in his office as he caught his scent. He knocked on the door as he waited for him to give him permission to enter. He heard a gentle, "Come in," as he opened the door and stepped in. He saw his father sitting behind his desk with his head down working on some papers.

Inuyasha approached as he said, "Dad, I wanted to let you know that I'm leaving the Western Lands for a few days and I'm taking Kagome with me." Inuyasha watched with interest, as his father never looked up from his work to even answer him.

Inuyasha furrowed his eyebrows together completely confused at his father's lack of interest in him. "Dad?" He asked and waited to be acknowledged but he ignored him.

He lowered his head, as he turned around and headed out the door. 'I guess my father doesn't care if I leave the Western Lands.' He thought with a heavy heart. He didn't know what he did to make his father ignore him like this, as he closed the door behind him and went towards his room. He knew Kagome would be waking up soon.

Inuyasha made it back to his room to find that his mate was already awake and looking for him. He smiled as he saw his mate in the morning sunlight. She was perfect in his eyes and she always seemed to brighten his darkest moods.

He approached his mate as he hugged her good morning and then he said, "Would you like to go and see your family today?"

Kagome's eyes lit up at what he had said. She gave him a big hug as they both walked out together to get something to eat before they left his kingdom.

When they got ready to leave they walked outside as Kagome was looking for his father. When she didn't see him she asked, "Inuyasha, is your father going to take us to see my parents?"

Kagome noticed sadness in his eyes as he replied to her question, "No, I'm taking us there."

She didn't know what was wrong as she came closer to her mate. She expected him to pick her up but she was surprised to see that her mate had summoned a transportation cloud of his own.

She smiled as she looked at her mate and said, "Inuyasha I didn't know you can summon a cloud like your father."

Inuyasha just grinned at her as he sat down with her in his arms and moved the cloud toward the Southern Kingdom. They took off at a fast pace as they traveled, he wanted to get there as soon as possible to forget about what happened between him and his father.

Maybe now that he was about to be a father, his dad didn't want to have him around the castle anymore. This thought hurt him deeply as he held his mate closer to him as they traveled.

Kagome noticed that something was wrong as she tried to offer some sort of comfort to her mate. She didn't know what had happened as they traveled to be with her parents. She got an idea as she thought, "Inuyasha, do we have to come back right away?"

Inuyasha was snapped out of his thoughts as he heard his mate's question. "No, we don't have to come back until we're ready. My father didn't give me a time limit on how long we can be gone. So as long as you are able to travel we can come back when we want."

Kagome was happy to hear this but she also heard the hurt tone to his voice. Something had happened between Inuyasha and his father for him to be acting like this. "Um, how about we visit my parents for the day and then go back to my house for some alone time."

Inuyasha hugged his mate closer to him. She always knew how to make him happy as he replied, "That would be good. I think we need to spend some time alone with each other. Ever since we have gotten mated we have been under guard or protected in some form. I think it will be a welcome change."

They both agreed that after they had spent the day with her parents that they would go back to her house and spend some time alone. Maybe she could get her mate to open up to her about what was bothering him.

They arrived at King Higurashi home about 30 minutes after they had left the Western Lands. They landed right in front of the house as Kagome saw her mother running out of the house to greet them.

His first instincts were to attack but he stopped himself and let Kagome's mother approach her daughter as he greeted King Higurashi.

Kagome's parents couldn't believe how big their daughter had gotten. It would be only a few more months before she had her pup. Kagome's mother got them all moving into the house because the brisk autumn wind was blowing and she was getting cold. Her daughter didn't seem to mind the cool air as they all walked into the house.

King Higurashi noticed the sad look in Inuyasha's eyes. He wondered what could be bothering him to make him look this sad. He would have to pull him off to the side and inquire once his wife and daughter were busy discussing women things.

Kagome's mother was fussing over her daughter. She couldn't believe that her daughter had turned into a demon. Her features were not that different from what she looked like before but she couldn't get used to the stripes on her face.

Kagome assured her that she was still the same person even though she was a little bit different. She felt fine and the baby was growing everyday. Her mother even got the chance to feel it kick as her eyes lit up with excitement. Even her brother Souta got to feel the baby kick as he turned to his sister and asked, "Kagome will the baby have ears like you, or Inuyasha?"

Kagome was caught off guard by her brother's question. She didn't know if the baby would have puppy ears or normal. "I don't know Souta, but I hope it comes out with its fathers ears that way I have another pair of ears to play with."

Kagome stole a look at her mate as she seen him blush and look away from her in embracement. She knew that he was very sensitive about his ears but she loved them just the same.

The women went off to another room while Kagome's mother showed her what she had gotten for the baby. King Higurashi saw his opportunity to talk to Inuyasha in private and asked, "Is everything alright between you and Kagome?"

Inuyasha was surprised by the question that Kagome's father asked, "Yes everything is fine between me and Kagome, we couldn't be more happier." He replied as he looked at the king.

"Then why do you look so sad? I can tell that something is bothering you. You're usually more alive and happy but today you seem sad about something. Do you want to talk about it?" King Higurashi watched with hopeful eyes to see if Inuyasha would at least open up to him about what was upsetting him so much.

Inuyasha sighed he didn't know that his mood was so obvious to others. He looked up to see the king still staring at him wanting an answer. He thought for a few minutes before he started to speak. "There is nothing wrong between me and Kagome. The problem is with my father. I haven't seen him in weeks and when I went to speak to him this morning he wouldn't even pay attention to me. Its like I don't exist for him anymore."

Inuyasha got up from his chair as he walked to the window and gazed out at the beautiful land that surrounded the king's home. The trees were changing colors, as the winter season was getting ready to come back. He always liked this time of year because the land changed and the colors were breath taking. But he didn't find joy in the scenery anymore as he continued to think about what he did to make his father reject him.

King Higurashi saw as Inuyasha got up and went to look out the window. He was hurt that his father wasn't paying any attention to him and he didn't know why. He got up from his own chair as he walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sure that you still exist for your father, but sometimes we fathers get so caught up in the things we are doing that we neglect the things that are most important to us. He never failed to protect you and my daughter when you were in danger. He could never stop talking about you when that human captured you. He always said how proud he was of you and how much you have grown over the last year." He hoped his words of comfort would brighten his mood.

Inuyasha heard his words and took comfort in them. He knew that his father was working on something that was important to him and he had been away from the castle for a while. He just couldn't help but feel neglected when he wouldn't speak to him this morning.

He turned to the king and said, "Thank you, I feel better knowing that he said all those things. I know that he has been busy with something that is going on in our kingdom and he has been away for the past few weeks but he still should have acknowledge me this morning or something. Anything but ignore that I was in the same room with him." He turned away from the king as he looked back out the window deep in thought.

King Higurashi understood. Nothing he said was going to make him feel any better. He had to work things out with his father. He walked away to leave him to his thoughts. At least he tried to make him feel better.

Kagome was ready to leave her parents home. They had spent the whole day there as she visited with her mother and asked her some more questions before the birth of the pup.

She had told her mother that they were going to spend a few days at her house and her mother had sent someone to restock her kitchen with everything she would need. She asked her mother to please not tell her father because she didn't want any guards out at her house.

She told her mother that they could protect themselves if anything was to go wrong. Her mother understood and she promised not to say anything to her father on where they would be.

She hugged her mother as she left to find her mate. She looked all over the house for him and found that he wasn't there.

Kagome didn't think she had been gone from him for that long for him to just simply disappear. She opened up her senses as she picked up her mates aura in the forest. She went outside as she was following her mate's aura into the forest.

Kagome saw several of the former demon slaves that lived on her father's lands. They had refused to leave even after they had been set free. This pleased her because it meant that they had treated them very well and they considered this there home.

By the time Kagome got to where Inuyasha was located she was very tired. She hadn't traveled this far on her own in a while. She was panting, as she looked up into the tree and said, "Inuyasha, would you please come down from there."

Inuyasha had left the house so he could think. He knew that Kagome was well protected and he needed sometime alone. He had always found comfort in the tall trees that he could climb so he could be alone with his thoughts.

He didn't even realize that he was gone for that long when he heard his mate yell for him to come down. He looked down from his perch and found that his mate was out of breathe as he jumped from the tree and landed right next to her.

He saw how tired she was and immediately cursed under his breath for leaving her for so long, as he rushed to her side. "Kagome are you all right? Why didn't you call for me? I would have come back to get you."

Kagome looked up at her mate and smiled. "That's all right Inuyasha I needed the exercise anyway. I knew that you came out here to think so I came looking for you. Are you ready to leave and go to my house?"

Inuyasha smiled as he held on to his mate and summoned his transportation cloud. He lifted them off the ground as he went towards her house for some much needed privacy.

They arrived about ten minutes later at her house. Kagome decided that she liked traveling this way and she asked, "Inuyasha, traveling like this is much better than us running through the forest. Why haven't we ever used your transportation cloud before?"

Inuyasha chuckled at her comment as he said, "Well the reason we never used it before is because I was weak and I couldn't summon it. But now that I'm a demon I can summon the cloud anytime I want and we can travel this way."

Kagome laughed as they entered the house, they were finally alone and together. She couldn't ask for anything more in her life.

Kagome cooked them a nice dinner, and afterward when they were done they went into the living room, they were sitting in front of the fire enjoying its warmth. Kagome was massaging Inuyasha's back as he was groaning with pleasure. It had been a long time since his mate had given him this kind of attention and he was enjoying every minute of it.

Kagome saw as her mate completely relax when she started to massage his shoulders and back. He was purring with delight as she continued to give him some much-needed attention. It felt good to just be alone with each other, something that they had very little of. They were always being protected and guards always surrounded them.

She finally got the chance to talk to her mate as she asked, "Inuyasha? What happened this morning to get you upset?"

She felt her mate stiffen under her fingers as he heard her question. She became concerned when he didn't answer her question right away. But she saw him relax as he started to tell her what was bothering him.

Once he was done Kagome understood what was wrong. She assured him that his father still cared about him and that maybe he was so engrossed in what he was doing that he didn't hear him when he talking to him this morning.

Inuyasha sighed he knew that his sulking was getting his mate upset as he got up from the floor and held her in his arms. He told her that he was sure that she was right as he picked her up and went to bed. They were both tired from their long journey and he wanted to rest.

Kagome knew that once he picked her up to go to bed that their conversation was over. She knew that she didn't settled his fears of being rejected but she comforted him that night as she gave him some very much needed attention.

oOo

Inutaisho had been very busy working on a project that he knew his son and mate would love. He hadn't seen his son in over a month and he was wondering how they were doing.

He was in a very good mood this morning when he got up, got dressed, and went towards his son's room. He wanted to make sure that they were all right.

When he got there he didn't pick up his son's scent and when he reached for the door he found that there was no barrier set up to stop intruders. He thought that it was strange as he opened the door to the room and looked inside.

To his surprise he found that his son and mate were both gone and their bed looked like they had not slept in it for days.

He rushed out of the room looking to see if he could find them as he went toward the kitchen to see Kaede. She would know where they were because she always feed them their meals before they would go anywhere.

He rushed into the kitchen as he saw the old woman putting his food on the table for him. He approached as he asked, "Kaede? Have you seen Kagome and Inuyasha lately?"

Kaede had been waiting for him to ask her this question for weeks now. She was wondering when he would notice that his son was gone with his mate. She turned to him and said, "Yes, my Lord I have seen them. They left the Western Lands two weeks ago and have not returned."

Lord Inutaisho couldn't believe that his son had left his kingdom. He was breathing hard as he went to sit down so he could calm down from the information he was given. 'How could I've not noticed that they were gone from the castle? Have I been so preoccupied with my project that I failed to notice that they were even gone from here?'

He continued to think and then he remembered something that happened two weeks ago. He had heard someone knocking on his office door and told him or her to come in but he didn't remember who it was or whether he paid any attention to them.

He looked up at Kaede and asked, "Do you know where they went?"

Kaede was really upset at her Lord for not noticing that his son was gone from the castle. She missed them terribly and wanted them back. The young princess was a joy to be around and soon she will have her pup and she wanted to be around her when it came.

She looked up at her Lord and said, "Why did you treat them like that? They have done everything possible to save our lands and you didn't even care that they left your kingdom? It's been two weeks and now is the time that you noticed that they're gone? My Lord how could you?"

Kaede broke down into tears as she turned away from him, she was hurt that he didn't even know his son was gone until now. She had thought he had changed his ways with his son but she saw that he was still the same.

Inutaisho became enraged as he left the kitchen in a hurry. He was going to find his son and mate. He was going to find out why they have left his kingdom. He started to think on where he could look first for them. He got an idea as he walked out of the castle; he took off into the air heading for the Southern Lands. If anyone would know where they were it would be King Higurashi.

Inutaisho was flying with speed as he arrived at King Higurashi home. He landed outside the house as he quickly made his way to the front door. He was met by one of the servants as they escorted him to where the king was located.

When he entered the study he saw the concerned look in the kings eyes as he approached. He swallowed hard as he asked, "I'm sorry to disturb you but I'm looking for my son. Have you seen him?"

King Higurashi saw the concerned look he had in his eyes. He asked him to sit as he pondered what to tell him. "Yes, I have seen your son. They came here two weeks ago to visit."

Inutaisho breathed a sigh of relief in knowing that his son had been there. "Do you know where they're located?"

"Yes, I know where they're at. But before I tell you why do you want to see him? He was really upset at the way you treated him when he left your kingdom." Said King Higurashi.

Inutaisho was completely stumped. He didn't know why his son was so upset that he would leave. "I don't know what you're talking about. I didn't know he was upset. He would have come and talked to me if he was."

"Ah, but that is the problem. He did come to talk to you and you ignored him. He feels that he has done something that caused you to reject him and he's upset about it." King Higurashi saw the surprise look on his friends face; he actually didn't know that his son had come to see him.

"When did he come and see me? I haven't seen him in almost a month. I have been busy with a project that I was personally seeing to, to make sure it was done correctly. Now that it's done I wanted him to see it," said an exasperated Inutaisho.

The king explained everything that his son has said to him and that he tried to calm his fears. He also told him that he wasn't buying it and that he was still upset about it.

Inutaisho groaned he finally realized who had knocked on his door that morning and he regretted his actions. "I'm sorry I never meant to hurt him this way. I was building them a house like the one Kagome has here in your kingdom. I wanted them to live as normal a life as possible. They seemed to have enjoyed there time here so much, when they had a place to call their own, that I thought that they might like one there too.

I never meant to turn my son away. I just wanted the work to be done correctly. It was hard enough to keep them away from the area where I was building the house. I had to prevent Kagome from breaking the spell I had placed on it so she wouldn't see it until it was done. I have to find him and apologize to him. I never meant for all this to happen."

King Higurashi understood he knew that he would never turn away his son. He was everything to him and he loved him dearly. "You know you are going to have to get pass Kagome to see him right." Said the king with amusement in his voice. His daughter was pissed at the way he had treated his son.

Inutaisho sighed he knew he had to deal with her first and convince her that he didn't reject his son before he saw him. "I understand. Do you know where they are?"

"Yes, they are staying out at her house right now. They didn't want me to know that they were there but the newspapers picked up that she had returned to our kingdom and went out to her house to try to get some pictures.

Inuyasha saw them as a threat and attacked. Luckily Kagome was able to stop him and he has placed a strong barrier around the house that prevents anyone from getting there. Not even my men can get in." King Higurashi was amused with what had happened. His son was strong and the barrier he set up had a good 5-mile radius around the house. He wanted no one to be on that land that didn't belong there.

Inutaisho thanked him as he left his house and headed toward Kagome's. He knew he would have to speak to her first before he could make amends with his son. He didn't know that he had upset his son this much. His heart ached at the knowledge, he wanted to make things right and have them back home again.

He took off heading towards Kagome's house. He was not going to enjoy seeing her again. She was powerful and a pregnant female was hard to deal with in the first place.

oOo

It had been two weeks and they were still at her home. Kagome didn't mind but she was worried that her mate was falling into a depressed state. She had not been able to get him to do anything. He just sat around the house and moped or he would be outside in the forest. If she ever got her hands on his father she was going to make him pay dearly for upsetting him like this.

She was cooking dinner when she felt that someone was at the barrier. She sent her senses out to see who it was. She was surprised to see that it was Inuyasha's father. 'So he finally realized that we left his kingdom and now he has come looking for us. Well he has some explaining to do.'

She allowed him to enter the barrier as she quickly finished her food. She took it off the fire as she placed it in the oven to keep warm. She walked out of the house as she awaited the arrival of his father to see what he had to say.

oOo

Inutaisho arrived at the barrier that was protecting Kagome's home. It was a powerful barrier as he stepped up to it and put his hand on it. It sent a bolt of lighting through his body as it sent him flying through the air were he landed on his back.

He sat up panting from the attack as he got up on his feet and approached the barrier again. He was thinking about how best to break it when it opened up to let him through. He swallowed hard as he stepped through and the barrier quickly closed behind him. He knew that Kagome was the one that opened the barrier.

He prepared himself as he went toward her house. When he was getting closer to the house he picked up on her anger. 'This is going to be hard, I have to convince her that I didn't reject my son so I can speak to him.'

When he reached the house he saw Kagome standing in front of it and she was waiting for him. He approached very slowly; he didn't want to make her mad. She was bigger than the last time he had seen her. When he was close enough that she could hear him he stopped his approach.

He swallowed hard and then he said, "Hello Kagome."

Kagome didn't know what to do. He looked so scared to be facing her, but she had to know why he had rejected her mate. She had to know what they had done to deserve this. No matter how mad she was at him she couldn't lash out. He was everything to her mate and she knew this.

"Hello my Lord. What brings you here?" Kagome said as a preamble.

'All right she is not being hostile at the moment so maybe I can talk to her.' "I went looking for you two this morning to find that you have left my kingdom. I know that there has been some misunderstandings and I want to set things right.

Kagome, I would never reject my son. He is everything to me and so are you. I didn't even know that he was in my office that morning. I was working on a project to make sure it was done correctly and I didn't even know he had come in to see me.

Believe me Kagome if I had seen him I would have stopped what I was doing to pay attention to him. I don't want to lose him. I know how deeply I have hurt him and I want to make amends with him." Inutaisho stopped talking as he watched Kagome. He could see that she had her head down as the scent of her tears finally reached him.

His heart ached in knowing that he had made her cry as he tried to get closer to her.

Kagome heard everything he had said. He sounded genuinely regretful that this ever happened. She remembered her mate's whimpers in the middle of the night and how much he had withdrawn into himself since they came here. She wanted him to be happy again as the tears of pain fell down her cheeks.

Inutaisho finally reached Kagome. She was crying as he reached for her. He was surprised that she didn't pull away from his touch as he held her in his arms and said, "I'm sorry Kagome. I didn't mean for this to happen. If I had known that you two left two weeks ago I would have come after you. I want you both to come back to the Western Lands. I miss you both and the place seems so empty without the two of you there."

Kagome slowly wrapped her arms around his chest as she let him hold her. She could sense that he was truly sorry for what he did. She knew deep down in her heart that he would've come after them if he had known that they were gone.

She pulled away from his embrace as she looked up into his eyes and said, "Your going to have to convince your son to go back. He thinks you have rejected him and he is deeply hurt. You will find him in the forest."

Inutaisho understood as he released Kagome and headed into the forest. He knew he had to convince his son to come home. He just hoped that he could.

oOo

Inuyasha was deep in the forest. He had gone there to think about everything that has happened. His father hadn't even noticed that they were gone from the Western Lands. He wondered what he had done to upset his father so much that he didn't want him anymore. He had tried so hard to be everything he wanted him to be.

He had become stronger so he could defend his mate. He had fought in battles because his father said it was his duty.

But when it came to his heart no one had control over it. His mate held his heart and he had fought his father to make sure he could have her. She was his everything and he knew that his upset was making her unhappy. He didn't want her to feel this way. If she got upset too much it could put her into labor and he didn't want that. The pup still had 2 ½ months to go before it was ready to be born and he had to protect her.

When he would come into the forest to think his mate understood why he wanted to be alone. It wasn't because he didn't want to be with her, it was because he had to work through his issues on his own.

She had tried to help but it didn't help him figure things out. He knew that he would have to come to terms with what has happen and go on with life. He had been enjoying his time here in Kagome's house. It has been a long time since he and his mate had any alone time together without having all the guards.

So in a way he was glad that he and his father had this misunderstanding because he got to be with his mate alone in her house and live as a normal couple for a while.

This thought pleased him very much. His mate, his heart, was everything to him and he would do anything to make her happy. He knew that he would have to head back to the Western Lands, he would have to face his father and find out what was wrong.

He was so deep in thought that he never noticed his father approaching him. He never picked up on his scent as he sat up high in the tree.

Inutaisho finally found his son. He was deep in the forest and he was sitting in a tree. He had always done this, ever since he was a pup he would love to sit in the trees to think. He once told him that it made him feel closer to his mother, that's why he would climb as high as he could and sit.

He stopped under the tree as he looked up. His son had not noticed that he was there. He knew that this was going to be hard as he took a deep breath and said, "Inuyasha, please come down for a minute."

Inuyasha jumped when he heard the sound of his father's voice. He never noticed that he was there. He looked down to see his father standing down below waiting to see if he would come down. He didn't know what to do. He knew that he would have to talk to him sooner or later, but he rather it would be later, rather than sooner. He sighed as he jumped from the tree to land next to his father. It was about time that they settle this.

Inutaisho saw when his son jumped from the tree and landed right next to him. He had his back to him so he couldn't see his expression. His head was down and so were his ears meaning that he was very close to the edge. He had to be careful on how he handled him because if he ever felt threaten he would never see his son again.

"Inuyasha, we need to talk about what happened two weeks ago." Said his father with concern.

Inuyasha heard the hurt in his voice; he knew that he didn't find out until today that he was gone from the Western Lands. "What's there to talk about? I have been gone for two weeks now and you didn't even notice that I was gone. So why are you here?"

Inutaisho knew that his son was hurting. "Inuyasha, I know that I have been neglecting you for the past month. It has nothing to do with you. I have been working on something that was really important to me and it was taking all of my attention.

When you came into my office, I didn't know that it was you who had knocked on my door. If I had realized that it was you I would have stopped what I was doing to pay attention to your needs." He sighed as he continued.

"Inuyasha, you are really important to me. I didn't reject you, I may have been stupid enough to not pay attention when you came into my office, but I would never reject you.

You and Kagome are my world and without you two being there my world doesn't exist. You are my only reason for being alive right now because if I didn't have you here in this world with me, I would be dead.

I hope that you understand that I would never reject you. I'm sorry that I neglected your needs and didn't listen when you came to me. I promised myself that I would never do that again but it seems that I still have to learn a few things. I can never loose focus that you are in my life and that we need to interact with each other." He watched his son as he was speaking slowly he was tearing away at the wall he had built between them. When he finished he saw his son look into the sky and sighed.

"You hurt me deeply when you ignored me. You could have told me that you were working on something that was important and I would've understood. But when you ignored me that tore a piece of my heart away.

I have worked so hard so you could be proud of me and it was all quickly torn away in a matter of minutes." Inuyasha lowered his head as he spoke. He was trying really hard to keep his emotions in check. He knew that his father hated to see emotions, he thought of them as a weakness, for he never showed them.

But he was a hanyou not a demon and his emotions were very close to the top. He had once hidden them very deep in his heart. But his mate had broken that barrier and released them again. He liked those feelings even though they would confuse him, but it's what his mate wanted and needed at times and he was able to give it to her.

Inutaisho saw his son struggling with his emotion as he stepped closer to him. He reached out and held his son in his arms as he brought him close to his heart. "I thought that I lost you when you left the Western Lands. My worst fears were realized when I didn't find you this morning, that I had managed to drive you away from me. I don't ever want you to feel that I don't love you because I do. You have shown me so much in where I went wrong in raising you. I'm trying to correct those errors but it's going to take time."

His father has never held him before; he thought that when he held him in the Eastern Lands that it was just a one-time thing. He felt the wave of emotion coming off his father and he knew he was telling him the truth. He never meant to neglect him.

Inuyasha slowly raised his arms as he wrapped them around his father seeking comfort from him. He now knew how much he loved him and he never wanted him to leave.

He felt a tug in his mind as his mate said, "Inuyasha, are you alright?"

He smiled inwardly at her concern. She could always tell when he was upset. "Yes, mate I'm fine."

"Well, when you're done with your father dinner is ready and you can bring him along so he can eat with us. If that is all right with you?" She said with worry in her voice.

"Yes mate we will both be there soon." He felt her touch leave his mind as he pulled away from his father and said, "Dad, dinner is ready and Kagome wants us to come and eat."

"Maybe I should leave you two alone for tonight. I don't want to upset your mate anymore today." He said with concern. He didn't want to interfere with what they had planned for tonight.

"No, Kagome requested that you come to dinner and if you turn down her food then you will hurt her feelings. You know she is a really good cook and you like her food.

We can stay here for the night and then return to the Western Lands in the morning." Inuyasha saw the bright smile that graced his fathers face. He was happy to hear that they were going back home.

"I'll race you." Said his son as he raced off into the forest heading back to Kagome's house.

"Impetuous pup." Said his father as he took off after him to see if he could beat him back to the house. They both arrived at the same time as they entered the house and Kagome greeted them. They all sat down to eat as they enjoyed their evening together.

oOo

The next morning they all got ready to leave for the Western Lands.

Kagome had fixed them all breakfast before they traveled back home. She called her mother to let her know that she was leaving and her mother wished her safe travel.

Once they were all outside Kagome placed her barrier on the house and reduced the barrier around the land to just protect the house while they were gone.

Inuyasha summoned his transportation cloud as he saw the surprised look on his fathers face.

"Since when can you summon the transportation cloud? You have never been able to summon it when I was trying to teach you before." Said his father with a surprise tone to his voice.

"I never really needed it before now. Kagome can't travel through the forest anymore and I wanted to bring her home so I learned how to summon it," said his son with pride.

Inutaisho got an evil gleam in his eyes and whispered in his son's ear, "Have you learned how to race it yet?"

The smile that came over Inuyasha's face told him that he did. "Good, we can try it out later today." It was a challenge and his son agreed to it.

Kagome heard the two in back of her as she turned around and said, "You two aren't planning on doing anything dangerous are you?"

The look in her eyes sent a shiver down both their backs as Inuyasha reached for his mate and said, "No."

They all sat down as the cloud lifted off the ground and headed back to the Western Lands at a pretty fast clip.

oOo

When they finally arrived in the Western Lands Inutaisho said, "I want you two to come with me for a few minutes. I have something to show you that I think you will like."

Kagome and Inuyasha looked at each other with confusion but they followed his father with curiosity.

They walked to the other side of the castle as they approached this one piece of wall that they had never seen before. His father kept on walking until he walked right through the wall.

Kagome and Inuyasha watched as he disappeared through the wall. They both walked up to the wall as they placed their hands on it. There hands went right through as they both took a deep breath and entered. What they saw on the other side of the wall shocked them.

There stood the most perfect house they had ever seen. It was big and beautiful. It had a garden off to the side and the front was adorned with flowers.

Kagome was breathing hard; she didn't know that this is what his father had been up to for the past month. She looked up to see the amusement in his eyes as she asked, "Is this what you have been working on for the past month that had your attention?"

Inutaisho smiled and said, "Yes, I wanted it to be a surprise and it was finally finished the other day. I wanted to show it to you and that's when I found that you two were gone from the Western Lands. This here is your private home. You are connected to the main castle incase you need anything.

I have built a clinic for you Kagome complete with everything you will ever need to treat the sick. It's on the other side of the house and is not protected by a barrier. The castle healers have all volunteered to help you care for the sick. They say that you have taught them how to truly be healers.

Only you and your mate can enter this area, no one else will know that this is here."

Kagome and Inuyasha couldn't believe that his father had gone all out to give them a house of their own. "Why dad? Why would you give us a house?"

Inutaisho sighed as he tried to explain. "When you two left to go back to Kagome's kingdom, a few months ago, I remember the laughter that came out of Kagome's house when you two were there. You were happy and that was the first time that I have ever heard you two laugh and be normal. I thought about it and decided that if you could have your own home that maybe I can give you as normal a life as possible without having all the guards around."

Inuyasha's eyes grew big as he said, "You followed us that day?"

Inutaisho chuckled and said, "Yes, I did."

Kagome was still breathing hard it was a little too much for her to take as she fainted in her mates arms.

Inuyasha saw his mate pale as he grabbed her before she fell. She had fainted. He was concerned over his mate but he knew that she was just overwhelmed with everything that has happened. He picked her up in his arms as his father looked at him with worried eyes. "Don't worry dad, she get easily upset and faints, more now that she is further along in her pregnancy."

Inutaisho relaxed as he showed his son into the house. He took them back to the master bedroom as they entered.

Inuyasha was impressed. The room was big with a big bed in the middle of the room. There was a smaller bed for the pup for when it was born. He moved over to the bed as he laid his mate down on it. They stayed there for a few minutes to make sure that she would be all right.

Once they were satisfied that Kagome was resting comfortably Inutaisho proceeded to show his son the rest of the house. Inuyasha was impressed, his father had thought of everything. There was a fireplace in the living room that his mate would definitely enjoy. There was a den, library, guestrooms, even a big kitchen that he was sure his mate would love.

There was a door in the kitchen that led into the main castle. When they emerged they were in the kitchen. Inuyasha looked back to see a wall right behind him. He smiled knowing that the entrance had a barrier that protected the entrance into his new home.

They walked into the kitchen to find Kaede their fixing lunch for the castle population as she greeted them both. She had a smile back on her face, as she was happy to see Inuyasha with his father once again.

They both headed outside as they went into the forest. It was about time they saw who was faster with the transportation cloud as they both summoned their clouds and took off into the forest racing each other.

oOo

There you go the end to another chapter in our story. Sometimes you have misunderstandings with the people you love. Only by talking can you resolve the issues and find out what is truly wrong. As you can see Inuyasha's father was only trying to give his son the life he so richly deserved. But in his haste he had neglected his son and hurt him deeply.

The next chapter will be the last one to our story. I hoped that you have enjoyed it as much as I have. This is one the longest stories that I have ever written. I don't know if I will ever be able to write another this long again. But for all of you who have enjoyed the length of it I'm glad. For all those who said it was too long, oh well, couldn't help it.

Until the next and final chapter!

Ja ne!


	35. Chapter 35 Final Chapter

Chapter 35: The Final Chapter

The months turned cold as winter finally settled in. Soon the snow will start falling and carpet the entire area with a white blanket of fluff, putting everything to sleep until the spring. There were no animals in the forest as they all settled down for the winter months ahead. Peace finally came to the Western Lands as it awaited the birth of its new heir.

Inuyasha and Kagome quickly settled into their new home and were enjoying their life together. Kagome would not cook all of their meals because she still enjoyed her time with Kaede in her kitchen.

Kagome was sleeping more as the months progressed and Inuyasha was keeping a close eye on her. Her time for having the pup was getting close. The castle healers had everything ready for when she went into labor so they would be ready. They knew that they would have to subdue her mate once it was time because he was so protective of her.

Inutaisho had been talking to his son about when his mate went into labor. He already knew what to expect since he had been through two births. He also new the amount of pain that Kagome would be in order to have the pup. He hoped that everything went well, so many females could die from giving birth and he didn't want anything to happen to her.

Inuyasha had allowed the castle healer to check his mate to make sure that she was fine as her pregnancy progressed. It was important that they knew how her health was before she had the pup.

Kagome and the healers would often sit together and talk about all the things that could go wrong in a delivery. They prepared for just about everything as she approached the blessed day.

Kagome was not moving as much out of her bed. She would only get up to go take care of business and then would crawl back into bed exhausted.

Inuyasha became increasingly worried that something was wrong with his mate because she was not as active as she usually was. She had no energy and when he spoke to the castle healer about it they became very concerned. They knew that most youkai females became less active as their time approached but to be this inactive was not a good sign.

They checked Kagome to make sure that everything was all right and found that everything was normal. They continued to watch her to make sure that nothing would happen.

The days became endless for Inuyasha as he stayed and watched over his mate. His father would come to bring him some food but he was not eating very much. He warned his son that he needed to be strong for his mate as he made him eat his food.

He would rest only briefly when he held her in his arms. Then one night Kagome started to stir in his arms. She was in pain as he became alert with her discomfort. The pain was not constant but it would disturb her from her sleep when they came.

A couple of hours passed and Inuyasha was growing worried. The pain was still there and his mate would not respond to anything he did. He thought it best to take her to the castle healer and make sure that pain was nothing serious. But he noted that they were coming more closely together as the time passed.

He picked up his mate as he made his way into the castle. The guards in the hallways spotted him as they lit the way toward the healer section of the castle. The castle came alive as word reached the healers that Kagome was being brought to them.

Healer Chu was the first to greet Inuyasha as he brought his mate into the room they had set up. Inuyasha quickly told him about the pain that she was in. He said that they were coming closer together but that Kagome had not woken up from her sleep.

Healer Chu understood what was going on. Kagome had gone into labor and the pain she was feeling were her contractions. The healers quickly got everything ready as they prepared Kagome to deliver her pup. They asked Inuyasha to leave and that was the wrong thing to do. He became very protective of his mate as he barred his fangs at the healers.

At that moment Lord Inutaisho came into the room. They had gone upstairs and woken him up the minute that Inuyasha came into the healer section of the castle with his mate. He saw what was going on as he stepped forward and said, "Inuyasha you must leave, they have to tend to your mate. If you don't then she could die. You must leave now!"

Inuyasha was stunned by his father's words he didn't want his mate to die. He knew that something was wrong but he didn't know what it was.

Inutaisho seeing that his son was out of it quickly moved in and grabbed him as he forcibly removed him from the room. The healers quickly sealed the door preventing him from reentering and interfering with what they were doing.

The healers quickly got to work as they set about checking Kagome. All of her vitals signs were normal but they didn't understand why she wasn't waking up. With the pain from the contraction she should have woken up by now. They got her ready as her body was slowly progressing to deliver the pup.

Kagome never screamed in pain as her body was slowly going through the birth process. Her body was reacting, as if she was awake. They would give her instructions and she would obey but she was still unconscious.

This was not normal in their eyes but they continued to give her instructions as she responded to their commands. They finally delivered the pup. It was healthy and breathing as a healer quickly put the pup on his mother's stomach so that her scent was imprinted on the pup.

Things took a turn for the worse as Kagome quit responding to the healers commands.

oOo

Inuyasha was on the ground breathing hard. He could feel that his mate was in trouble and they wouldn't let him into the room. He heard the sound of his pup being born and his heart leaped with joy. But something was wrong, he felt as his mate was leaving him behind as he was struggling to get her back.

Inuyasha closed his eyes as he tried to concentrate. 'Mother, something is happening to Kagome. I can tell she is not on this plane any more. What is wrong with her?'

Inuyasha felt the gentle touch of his mother as she said, 'Inuyasha, your mate has lost her way. You must quickly go and help her or you will lose her forever.'

'How do I do that? I have no idea where she is or how to get her back.' Thought Inuyasha with panic in his voice.

'Concentrate my son and I will show you the way.' Said his mother with urgency.

Inuyasha concentrated as he saw his mother in front of him and he followed. They were running down a dark pathway. The only light that he could see was the light that his mother was giving off from her body.

They continued going faster and faster until they reached a big void in space. They continued to go as they weaved in and out of the obstacles in their way. He didn't know what the obstacles were but he knew that they hurt if you touched them. He had made the mistake of hitting one on his way to find his mate.

He saw a light in the distance and knew that it was what he was searching for. He knew that was his mate as her light called to him. He saw that she was going in the wrong direction as he called to her. "KAGOME! KAGOME!"

He saw the light stop moving as he continued to race after her. He lost sight of his mother as he continued going towards his mate.

oOo

Kagome was running through this dark cavern. She was scared and looking for her mate. She didn't know where she was as she continued running in the direction she thought her mate would be.

She was tired she wanted to stop but something inside of her was telling to keep going. She felt the presence of her mate somewhere in the near distance, as she started to concentrate to find her mate. She sent out a silent plea for him, 'Inuyasha, help me please! I'm lost and I can't find you.'

Inuyasha heard when his mate touched his mind as he continued to race after her. 'Mate you are going away from me. Turn around and run toward the blue light that you see in the distance.'

Kagome stopped running as she turned around and saw a soft blue light behind her. She started running in that direction, hope was filling her heart, as she was getting closer to the light that was coming toward her.

Inuyasha saw as the light he was chasing was coming towards him, he put on a burst of speed as he raced to be with his mate.

The two lights were becoming stronger the closer they got to each other. When they finally meet their light merged into one to form a protective barrier around them as Inuyasha held his mate close to him. He was glad to have her in his arms once again as they were both breathing hard from just running.

They stood there as their lights merged to give each other strength. When they pulled apart, Kagome said, "Inuyasha, I'm so glad I found you. I want to go back, please take me back home. I want my pup please mate!"

Inuyasha heard her pleas as he was still breathing hard. He was trying to protect her as he pulled her closer to his body. He turned around and started racing back with Kagome at his side. She was matching his pace as they raced back the way he came.

oOo

Inutaisho was watching his son. He was breathing hard as they were trying to tend to Kagome and the pup. He heard the gentle cry of the pup when he saw his son collapse on the ground not moving.

He quickly moved to his side as he yelled, "INUYASHA!"

His son was not moving. He realized that whatever was happening to Kagome it has taken his son as well. He knew that his son was not about to give up his mate. He would rather die than live without her.

The healers in Kagome's room came running out when they heard their lords scream. They found that Inuyasha had collapsed on the ground and he was not moving. They quickly went to his side as they checked him. They noticed that the same thing had happened to his mate.

Their breathing became shallow, as they were growing pale. They realized that they were losing the both of them if they didn't find out what was wrong with Kagome.

Inutaisho saw Kagome lying on the table as the healers were tending to her. She was in the same condition as his son and he knew that if one died they both would.

At that moment his mate appeared and said, "Mate, if you want them both to live you must give Inuyasha my sword. It's the only thing that could guide them back to the living world. You must add your energy to it to help them."

Inutaisho didn't waste anytime as he rushed to Kagome side and removed her sword from its sheath. He swung the sword down and it transformed for him. He concentrated as he added his power to it to give it some extra energy. He continued to add his power as he placed the sword in his son's hand as his whole body was engulfed with the power of the sword.

oOo

Inuyasha and Kagome had stopped running. They were feeling weak as they were panting trying to get back to were his mother was located. He had lost sight of her when he spotted Kagome and went after her. Now they were trying to go home but for some reason they couldn't find their way out.

Kagome collapsed next to him, as she was growing weak. Inuyasha was by her side in an instant as he brought her into his embrace. He channeled some of his energy into her so she could stay with him. He was not about to give up now that he had her by his side.

He got up with his mate in his arms as he continued going in the direction he came from. He was moving slower now, as he was growing weak. He collapsed on the ground again with his mate as he was breathing hard. He was slowly losing his energy as he held his mate closer to him, 'At least we will be together in the after life,' he thought.

At that moment his mother had found them. She had been searching for them and knew that they were in trouble. She took her sword as she said, "My son take my sword, it will guide you back."

As soon as Inuyasha's hand wrapped around his mothers sword it gave him a burst of energy. It encircled him and his mate as he started to move again. The sword was pulling him in the direction of home as he raced there with his mate in his arms.

Once they got back to where he needed to be he made sure that his mate returned to her body. He was exhausted as he made his way towards his and collapsed on the floor where his father was located, waiting for him to wake up.

oOo

Inutaisho kept a close watch over his son. He knew that his mate would help them return back to him. He continued to watch, as his son remained unconscious on the floor. He was starting to get worried that his son would never wake up. Then he saw his son take a deep breath as his breathing was becoming normal.

He heard the healers say that Kagome was beginning to respond to their commands as she was starting to wake up.

Kagome opened her eyes to see that she was back in the Western Lands. She was tired as she moaned and said, "Mate."

Inuyasha immediately responded to his mates call as he slowly opened his eyes to see two very concerned golden one looking at him. He was still weak as he tried to sit up. He was breathing hard as his father helped him to sit while he was still holding on to him.

Once Inuyasha got some of his strength back he started to stand with the help of his father. As soon as he was back on his feet he started to make his way towards his mate as he finally reached her.

He leaned down and kissed his mate as she slowly responded to his touch. She opened her eyes to see her mate as she smiled and said, "Thank you Koi."

He smiled warmly at her as he said, "Anything for you Koishii."

Kagome turned to the healers and said, "My pup, where is my pup?"

The healer came forward and gave Kagome her pup as she held it in her arms. Tears of joy were coming down her face when she saw it. It had silver hair just like its father with faint ebony stripes going through its hair.

Kagome slowly removed the blanket so she could see what it was. As soon as she uncovered the pup it started to cry. It lungs were good as it had a nice healthy cry. She looked at her mate and smiled. They had a son and he was beautiful. He didn't have his father's ears but he did have ears like his mother, he looked like his father in everyway. He was small and he was perfect in their eyes.

Kagome held him to her chest as she took in his scent. It was so sweet. Like a summer rose sweet and fragrant. She figured it was a mixture of her scent and her mates.

Inuyasha leaned down and nuzzled his son as he took in his scent. It was a scent that he would never forget. He moved the hair away from his forehead to discover that he had a golden crescent moon there. He had the start of his markings as you could barely see the purple stripe that was smooth, one on each side of his cheek.

The proud parents were overcome with joy as Inuyasha took the pup to show his father. Inuyasha walked out of the room with the pup in his arms as he presented his pup to his father. "It's a boy." Said a very proud Inuyasha of his son.

Inutaisho couldn't have been happier as he hugged his son and took a look at his new grandson. He was the splitting image of his father with his mother's eyes. He started to fuss and Inuyasha took him back to his mother.

Everyone left the room to give the happy parents some alone time with the pup.

Inuyasha looked at his mate and said, "I thought I almost lost you out there." As he took his mates hand and held it in his own.

Kagome smiled at him as she said in a tired voice. "I knew that you would come for me. I don't know how I got lost. I kept hearing voices telling me what to do and I did it. Then I heard the sound of our other pups crying and I went after them, I thought that I could bring them home with me. When I turned around I found that I had lost my way and couldn't get back.

I started calling out to you when you found me and held me in your arms. I knew that I was safe once you put your arms around me. I knew that you could bring us back so we could be with our pup."

Inuyasha heard his mate's confidence in him, but within his mind he was silently thanking his mother for helping him. He owed everything to her, she was the one that brought them back from whatever that place was.

One of these days he would have to ask her what that place was. He didn't think he could handle the answer to his question now so he kept quiet.

oOo

Life around the castle settled down as things got back to normal. Inuyasha and Kagome quickly took their leave of the healer's section of the castle as they went down to their home. They became very protective of the pup and wouldn't let anyone see him except his father.

Inutaisho would come down daily to see them and make sure that everything was all right. He took great pleasure in seeing his grandson. Kagome and Inuyasha finally named the pup Sokai and he was very pleased with the name. He knew that his grandson would bring hope to their world and keep the peace that his parents have fought so hard to have.

He went with them when they wanted to travel to the Southern lands to introduce their pup to Kagome's parents, but with Inuyasha protectiveness of his pup the visit was very short.

Kagome couldn't blame Inuyasha, she was just as protective of her pup as her mate. He was the only one that survived of the three that she carried and she was determined to keep him safe.

oOo

The month continued on and the pup was growing fast. Kagome was in demand as many demons came looking for her to help heal their sickness. Kagome had a private office in her home for a very special guest.

Sango would come down from her home in the mountains, where she lived with Miroku, to see Kagome. She was with her own pup and soon she would give birth to it. Miroku was growing nervous as her date approached.

Inuyasha tried to calm Miroku down and said that it will all be all right. He knew that his mate would never let anything happen to her friend. Miroku knew that his friend was right but he couldn't help but be worried about his mate.

Miroku had fashioned a concealment spell for Sango so she would look normal and hide her demon form. They were a rare youkai and never were to be seen. Lord Inutaisho upon his returned to the Western Lands had given him a house in the mountains to live in peace and raise their family.

They had left the very day that everyone returned to the Western Land. Wanting to keep their forms a secret from the rest of the world. So many in the castle already knew their secret, so they couldn't afford to stay at the castle any more. When his lord gave them a home in the mountains, with a protection barrier that would not let anyone enter the area, they were jumping for joy.

Even though Sango and Miroku were immortals now they needed to stay hidden from the major population. So living in the mountain suited their purpose. They enjoyed their lives there and he couldn't be happier.

When Sango was close to her date Kagome had suggested that they come and stay with them to make sure she had help when the time came. They agreed and they were to be back a few days before the birth.

About a week before Sango was to give birth. Both Kagome and Inuyasha were woken out of a sound sleep with someone pounding on their door. When Kagome finally reached the door she found Miroku in his full demon form and Sango in his arms in pain. She quickly showed him where to put his mate as she told Inuyasha to keep her mate company until she was done.

Inuyasha tried his best to keep Miroku calm but that was next to impossible. It was taking a long time for Sango to give birth and every time she would scream in pain Miroku became unglued.

Inuyasha had to stop him a number of times from going into the room where his mate was located with Sango. Mainly because if he touched his mate he would kill him, finally after about 5 hours of labor Kagome walked out of the room and a worried Miroku greeted her.

His mate smiled as she said, "Sango is doing fine and you have a son Miroku." Miroku was relieved to hear that his mate was doing well, he was even happier when he was told that he had a new son. He quickly made his way into the room to be with his mate, as Kagome and Inuyasha went back to bed before their son woke up in a few hours.

Miroku entered the room where his mate was located. She was asleep in the bed with a little bundle in her arms. He stood in front of her as he admired her beauty. Even after everything she had been through she still looked beautiful to him.

He leaned down as he gently kissed her on the forehead to see if he could wake her. Sango slowly responded to his touch as she opened her eyes and smiled warmly at her mate.

Miroku seeing that his mate was awake leaned down and kissed with all the love he held for her. She responded in kind as she returned his kiss eagerly. When they broke apart they were panting for lack of air.

Sango looked at the little bundle in her arms as she said, "Miroku, we have a son." She started to remove the blanket that was wrapped around the pup as she revealed his new son to him.

He was very small. He had flaming red hair that stood up on its ends. He had small little clawed hands and feet. He had very small wings on his back that were just barely covered in golden feathers. His ears were pointed and he had three small bumps on his forehead that Miroku knew would be his jewels of power.

He looked perfect in his eyes as he leaned in and took in his scent. He smelled of the wind after the rains had fallen on the ground. He was perfect as his mother covered him back up to keep him warm.

Miroku stayed with his mate the rest of the night to let her rest. In the morning he greeted Inuyasha and Kagome as he held his mate in his arms and they both said their goodbyes. They promised to always stay close and visit whenever they were near the mountain.

Miroku walked outside as he spread his wings and took off toward the Western Mountains.

Kagome and Inuyasha watched as their friend flew home with his new family in his arms. Knowing that they would always be close and help one another if need be.

oOo

In the months that followed after Sesshomaru and Jinx returned from the Western Lands had been some of the happiest for Jinx. Her mate was wonderful as he tended to her every need.

He had changed and he was doing everything within his power to show her how much he loved and would protect her.

Jinx was free to roam around the castle and not be kept locked up in the tower. She loved her freedom of wondering around the castle and especially being outside in the garden. The garden was her favorite spot. It had beautiful flowers and it always made her happy.

She couldn't ask for a more perfect life until the castle population found out that she was with pup.

Jinx started hearing the court talk about her. They had found out that she was a half-breed and they were not happy. They thought that their lord could have done better for himself than to select a worthless half-breed to share his kingdom.

Jinx was hurt to hear them say these things. She would make sure to avoid the court and when her mate insisted that she attend a function she did it with regret. She knew that they would never say these things around her mate for fear of losing their lives, but she would hear about it the next day when they thought that no one was hearing them.

Jinx's security cameras were still set up in the castle and they were a wealth of information for her. She knew of several Inu Youkai females that she would like to strangle, but she knew her mate would not approve of such actions. She was the lady of the house and she had to act as such.

But it still didn't mean that she couldn't take out her frustrations in the training center in their part of the castle. She spent long hours there by herself as she trained to get stronger. She didn't get the opportunity to train with Inuyasha so she could learn how to unleash the real power of her sword. She continued to work at it so she could finally find out its secret and release its power.

The month progressed and she was getting bigger. She never told her mate what was being said in the castle. She kept it to herself, as she would remain, for the better part of the day, in the upper portions of the castle after she had eaten her food with her mate.

Time passed and they received word that Kagome had her pup and that it was a boy. She was overjoyed in hearing that she was doing well and so was the pup. She had gone out to the city and had gotten them a present and sent it to her with her congratulations.

Jinx continued to get big and Sesshomaru began to get worried. Jinx had not let the castle healers check her or the pup to see if it was progressing normally. He would feed his pup on a normal basis and knew that it was growing strong, but he worried about his mate as she started to grow pale.

One day she couldn't get out of bed as he summoned the castle healer to check on his mate. Jinx became enraged when she saw them and told them all to get out of her chambers.

Sesshomaru seeing how upset his mate was told everyone to leave as he tried to calm her down. Sesshomaru looked at her with concern as he asked, "Jinx, why won't you let the healers take a look at you? You are growing pale and there might be something wrong with the pup."

Jinx looked at her mate and said in a deadly voice, "I don't want those bastards anywhere near me or my pup," as she collapsed back on her bed unconscious.

Sesshomaru didn't know what to do. His mate was very adamant about not having them touch her. So he continued to care for her as she slowly progressed in her pregnancy.

oOo

Sesshomaru was in his bedchambers with his mate tending to her needs. Jinx had taken ill and would not let the castle healers tend to her again. She said that she didn't trust them around her and she was not comfortable with them.

Jinx had gotten a fever a couple of days ago. Sesshomaru had tried to get her to see the castle healers again but she had refused. He couldn't understand why she didn't want them around but he had to submit to her request.

But she wasn't getting any better. Her fever was still there and she was growing weaker by the day.

Sesshomaru had to think of something. If she didn't want the castle healers then he would have to get someone that she could trust and bring them here. 'But who will Jinx trust to allow them to get close to her?' Thought Sesshomaru as he looked at this mate and put another cold cloth on her forehead to make her comfortable.

'Wait, father had said that Inuyasha had healed my mate before. Maybe if I sent word back to the Western Lands and pleated my case to my brother, he might come here and help her again.' Thought Sesshomaru, it was worth a try as he set to work on a letter asking for some help.

Sesshomaru called for his most trusted runners as they quickly made it up to his chambers. When they got there Sesshomaru told them what to do. They were to travel with speed heading back to the Western Lands and find his father to deliver the message. He knew that his father would speak to his brother so they could come here to help with his Jinx.

He told them time was of the essence as he sent them on their way, hoping that they arrived in time to help his mate.

oOo

The months passed and soon the winter gave way to spring. The pup was growing strong every day and he was a bundle of joy.

Kagome couldn't be happier with the coming of spring. It meant that she could go out into the forest and enjoy the sunshine with her pup. She hated being indoor but with the cold weather she couldn't take the chance of her pup getting sick just to be outside with her.

On this day she was out in the forest with her son showing him all of the things that he could find in the forest. He was fascinated with everything he saw and he was curious with just about everything.

Kagome was sitting on the ground with her pup in her arms as she started to show him the little ladybug that had come out to play. Sokai was very curious about the bug as he was trying to reach for it but his mother made sure he never hurt it. Her very protective mate was watching them as he was resting against a tree in the woods.

Inuyasha watched with a lazy eye as his mate and pup were playing in the near distance. He was in heaven. He never thought that having a family could bring him such joy. He knew how his father felt and why he wanted them around him. He enjoyed just watching them grow and flourish.

He saw, as it was time to feed the pup. Kagome picked him up and put him in her shirt so he could nurse. He enjoyed watching them. His pup had a really good appetite and would eat everything that his mother had for him. He would fall asleep soon after he was feed as his mother rocked him to sleep.

He heard a noise off to the side as he turned his head to greet his father that was coming towards him. Inutaisho greeted his son as he sat next to him and together they watched as Kagome feed their pup.

Kagome was slowly rocking her son to sleep as he was nursing. He was almost done and she knew that he would take a nap in her shirt as she held him close to her heart.

Kagome senses started to go off as she sensed some youkai coming towards them in a hurry. She became really protective of her son as she quickly stood and pulled her sword out of its sheath, ready to kill the youkai who would try to hurt her pup.

Inuyasha had caught the scent of youkai getting close as he quickly stood and drew his Tetsusaiga and leaped in front of his mate to protect her. He was growling fiercely when the demons finally made it into the clearing where they were.

Inutaisho had seen when his son pulled his sword from its sheath as he leaped and stood in front of his mate to protect her. He was at his side in an instant when he saw the demons approach. He recognized the uniform they were wearing as he told his son to stand down that they were not there to harm them.

Inuyasha relaxed but he did not back down from his protectiveness of his mate and pup.

The demons slowed down when the noticed the hanyou standing there with a sword in his hand. They saw the other demon standing next to him and knew that this was Lord Inutaisho.

They approached with care. They didn't want the hanyou to kill them before they had a chance to deliver the message they had. They approached Inutaisho and kneeled as one of them said, "My Lord, we have and urgent message from Lord Sesshomaru."

Inutaisho was surprised that his son had sent him a message. He had not heard from him in months and thought everything was going well for him since he had his mate back. He took the letter from them as he opened it to read what was wrong.

He got a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as he read the letter. He told the guards to go and see his sergeant of the guards and that he would tend to their needs. The guards bowed with gratitude as they left the area to get some much-needed rest.

Inutaisho turned to his son and said, "Jinx is ill. She has a fever and is not letting the castle healers anywhere near her so she could be cured. Sesshomaru is requesting that we come to his kingdom so we can help her."

Inuyasha was surprised that his brother would even ask for help. But then again his mate was very particular about certain things. If she felt threaten in anyway or if anyone there had a problem with half-breeds she would be very protective of her pup. "How long has she had this fever?" Asked a very worried Inuyasha.

"Hmm, this letter was dated 6 days ago, so at least that long." Said a concerned Inutaisho.

Kagome was hearing everything being said as she offered her pup some comfort for the fright she had given it with her growls. "This is not good. If she's had this fever for at least a week and it has not broken then her pup could be in danger. Does he say anything else about her condition?"

Inutaisho looked down at the letter again and said, "No, just the fever that she has."

Inuyasha and Inutaisho saw when Kagome closed her eyes and seemed to fall asleep. They knew what she was doing and hoped that Sesshomaru didn't attack his mate while her spirit was in his bedchambers.

Kagome started to think about Jinx as she let herself go and she appeared in Jinx's bedroom. Sesshomaru was there and she didn't want to approach without first calling out to him to make sure that he wouldn't attack.

"Lord Sesshomaru, I have come to see your mate." Kagome said in a very distant voice.

Sesshomaru upon hearing a strange voice in his bedchambers quickly got up ready to attack. When he saw who it was, he was relieved to see her as he said in a rush. "Kagome, Jinx is sick and the fever won't go down. Please! Can you or Inuyasha help her?"

Kagome saw the worn look on his face and knew he had not slept in days. She approached with cautions as she looked at his mate. "Sesshomaru I might be able to help her but I need to gather some medicine before I come here. I know of a medicine that will help her now with the fever until I get here, and I want you to get it for her. You're going to need your concealment spell."

Sesshomaru listen intently to what Kagome was telling him, as he wrote down the name of the medicine she wanted him to get. She told him that when he came back with the medicine to crush two of the pills and give them to his mate in water. She explained that the medicine would help with her fever until she returned with her mate then she would heal her.

Sesshomaru thanked her as he took off to get the medicine that his mate needed. Kagome stayed long enough to see if she could talk to her friend but she was too out of it to talk to her. She knew her well enough that something was wrong if she didn't want the castle healers to touch her.

She saw Sesshomaru returning from his task and was surprised at the speed in which he did it. He quickly opened the bottle and took two pills out and crushed them with his bare hands and then mixed it in some water. He held his mates head up until she drank all of the liquid. She saw the relief in his eyes as the fever started to break and Jinx was resting easier as she vanished from the room to return to her body.

oOo

Inuyasha and Inutaisho were both watching Kagome like a hawk. She was taking too long in coming back and Inuyasha was growing worried.

They finally saw her start to stir as Inuyasha was at her side in an instant. When she opened her eyes she saw two very concerned ones looking at her. She smiled and said, "Jinx is very ill. Sesshomaru has not slept since her illness started. I had him go and get some medicine to give to her until we get there. It will help with her fever."

Kagome tried to stand and found that she was weak. She couldn't understand why as her mate picked her up in his arms and they headed back to their house.

By the time they had reached the house Kagome had fallen asleep with the pup in her arms. Inuyasha went and laid her down on the bed as he let her rest. When he was sure that she was comfortable he left to talk to his father.

They made plans to go to the Eastern Lands to help Sesshomaru. Inutaisho had gone up to the healer's section of the castle and told Healer Chu what was happening. He made a bag for him to take with him that contained everything Kagome would need. He was sure that if he forgot something that Kagome was resourceful enough to find what she needed.

Inutaisho thanked him as he headed back down to his sons home. Kagome was still unconscious as Inuyasha picked her up and went outside with his mate and pup in hand. He had packed a bag with everything they would need for the pup as his father summoned his transportation cloud. He got on with his mate as they headed toward the Eastern Lands at great speed.

They arrived about 3 hours later where it had taken them a half-day of travel before. Kagome had finally woken up and was surprised that they were reaching the Eastern Land so fast. She asked how long she was asleep and her mate said almost four hours.

She was surprised. She never thought that she would get so weak in using that particular power. She would have to be more careful in the future. Inutaisho explained that Healer Chu had put a bag together for her with everything she would need.

She smiled because she knew he would not leave out anything that he thought she would need. They finally landed in front of the castle door as they rushed in to see about Jinx. They made it up to Sesshomaru's private quarters as they went to his bedchambers. They knocked on the door as his father said, "Sesshomaru, its us. Let us in so we can help your mate."

The door quickly opened to find a very tired and distraught Sesshomaru. His father could tell that he had not slept in a long time and he was exhausted. Kagome took one look at him and said, "Sesshomaru, I need you to get some rest. You are not doing us any good if you pass out when we need you the most. We will tend to Jinx and the pup."

Sesshomaru was not about to rest until he knew that his mate was all right. Kagome saw this as she started one of her spells, when she was done she saw as Sesshomaru started to fall as his father grabbed him and placed him on the bed to rest.

Inuyasha looked at his mate and said, "You have to teach me that spell. I can use it on you when you don't sleep at night."

Kagome looked at her mate with a raised eyebrow and said, "Not a chance. I love the purrs."

Kagome quickly made her way over to where Jinx was laying in bed. She started to concentrate so she could see what was causing her to be sick. Jinx had a viral infection and it has been feeding off her fever. It was out of control as it had spread throughout her whole body.

Kagome knew that the medicine would take too long to work so she had to use her healing powers to get rid of the infection. She was going to need help or her pup would not be feed in days if she did it on her own.

'Mate, I'm going to need your help to heal her.' Thought Kagome to her mate.

Inuyasha felt the mental touch of his mate as he heard her request. He approached her and said, "What do you want me to do?"

Kagome explained how he could focus his healing powers so he could see the infection that was in her body. "I will move the infection to this place and I want you to slowly get rid of it. Make sure that you don't use too much power or you could kill her."

Inuyasha swallowed hard as he nodded his head in understanding. They both got ready as they started to glow blue. They built up their healing powers as Kagome moved the infection to the location she had given her mate and Inuyasha slowly got rid of it.

Inutaisho watched as Jinx's body was engulfed in the blue hue of their combined healing powers. It took the better part of two hours but when they finally stopped they had completed their task.

Jinx was resting peacefully and her color was coming back to her face. Both Kagome and Inuyasha fell to their knees as they were panting. They were exhausted as Kagome said, "She will be alright now. All she needs is some rest."

Inutaisho turned his attention to his son and mate as he said, "Why don't the both of you go down to the room you had before and I will stay with them until Sesshomaru wakes up."

Inuyasha agreed. They were both tired and the pup would have to be feed soon. He reached for his mate as he helped her stand and together they left the room to go and rest. They just hoped that they could stay awake long enough for Kagome to tend to the pup before they both fell asleep.

Inutaisho stayed behind as he waited for his eldest son to awaken. Jinx was finally resting comfortably and her color had come back to her face. His son finally started to stir after about four hours.

Sesshomaru slowly started to open his eyes as he tried to figure out what was happening. He remembered his father arriving and then something that his brother's mate had said. When his eyes finally opened he saw his father sitting next to him as he asked, "How do you feel?"

"I'm better. What of Jinx? Is she all right?" Sesshomaru asked with concern.

Inutaisho smiled and said, "Kagome and Inuyasha were able to heal her completely and she is resting comfortably."

Sesshomaru was happy to hear this as he turned his head to see his mate lying next to him asleep. Her color was back and she looked good for the first time in months. This pleased him to no end. He turned back to his father and asked, "Where are Inuyasha and Kagome?"

"They went to get some rest. They were both exhausted from using their healing powers to heal your mate. They didn't want to chance Kagome doing it on her own because it would knock her out for days and the pup needs to be feed." Said his father.

"Why don't you go and get some rest. You look tired from your long journey." Said Sesshomaru as he eyed his father.

Inutaisho smiled as he said, "All right, I'll leave you alone with your mate. Kagome will be back in the morning to check on her."

Inutaisho got up as he left Sesshomaru alone with his mate. Sesshomaru, once he knew that his father had left rolled over and brought his mate into his arms. He brought her closer to him as he was seeking comfort from her heat and finally after about a week of no sleep, he had fallen asleep with his mate in his arms.

oOo

The next day Kagome awoke to the sound of her pup having breakfast all by himself as he had crawled up to her and latched on to her breast. She smiled when she felt that he was nursing and wrapped her arms around him to hold him closer.

Inuyasha growled the pup had taken away his favorite breast as he was feeding. He liked holding on to that one as he slept with his mate. He groaned as he sat up and yawned. He knew it was going to be a long day when the pup got up early to feed. He figured that he deserved it because he had been a good pup and had slept with them until morning.

He turned to his mate as he leaned down and kissed her good morning. He felt his heat starting to rise and new he wouldn't be getting his early morning treat with his pup there. He sighed as he pulled away from his mate and went to take a cold shower while he let her finish with their son.

When they were done getting cleaned up and the pup was changed and feed they left their quarters to go and check on Jinx. They knocked on the door and waited as they heard Inuyasha brother say, "Come in."

They entered the room as they saw Sesshomaru standing by the balcony as he greeted his brother and mate. He looked much better than he did yesterday. Kagome stepped forward and said, "How is Jinx doing this morning?"

"She slept well last night and she is looking better this morning. She has not woken up yet." Said Sesshomaru with concern.

Kagome understood and went over to the bag she had brought with her as she asked everyone to leave to she could take a look at Jinx. She wanted to check the pup and see how close she was to giving birth.

Sesshomaru didn't want to leave his mate but a growl from his brother made him think better of it as he walked out the door with Inuyasha right behind him, and the pup in his arms.

Kagome went to Jinx and she said, "Jinx, its time to wake up."

Jinx slowly started to open her eyes as she focused on the person that had called her name. She felt better today. As a matter of fact it's the best she has felt in a long time. She looked off to the side and noticed that Kagome was standing there with a big smile on her face as she said, "Good morning sleepy head. How are you feeling?"

Jinx giggled and said, "Hello Kagome, I'm feeling just great! When did you get here?"

"Sesshomaru sent for us when you refused to let the castle healers look at you. You want to talk about it?" Kagome hoped that she would open up to her and tell her what was going on.

Jinx sighed, maybe she would feel better if she told someone what was going on. She might even be able to help her with her problem. So with a defeated look in her eyes she proceeded to tell Kagome what was wrong.

Kagome sat on the bed as she listened to what her friend had to tell her. She knew exactly how she felt and she thought she had a solution to her problem but it would have to wait until the pup was born. "Jinx you are just going to have to show these demons just who's boss around here. Sesshomaru may rule here but you are the driving force behind him.

You have to make these demons learn their place and you will have to teach them all a lesson the way Inuyasha taught his brother. I suggest you start with the female Inu Youkai. Once you defeat them then everyone else will fall into place."

Jinx knew her friend was right but how could she do that and not offend her mate. "Kagome, I can't, I'll hurt Sesshy if I do that?"

Kagome huffed and said, "If he is the alpha male and you are the alpha bitch then he shouldn't have any problems with it. I did it in the Western Lands and you can do it too. They didn't accept me because I was a half-breed but once I showed them who the boss was they quickly fell into place. It's no different here."

Jinx had to laugh. Kagome was right and she would have to take care of her problem without her mate getting in the way.

"Well now lets see how much longer you have before this pup of yours is born." Said Kagome as she got into her doctor mode.

When she was done she looked at Jinx and said, "Jinx, my friend, you about ready to have this pup. I have to go down to the healer section of the castle and see about the facilities here. I will be the one to deliver your pup so don't worry. Now I think I'm going to have some fun with some healers." Kagome smiled as she left her friend.

When she walked out Sesshomaru was pacing back and forth in the hallway driving his brother crazy with Inutaisho smiling in the background.

When Sesshomaru heard the door open he quickly turned to Kagome and asked, "How is she?"

"She's fine. She is ready for the pup to be born. I'm going to go down and see the castle healer and see what kind of facility you have here. I told your mate that I would be the one to deliver the pup and she is all right with that. You can go in and see her now." Kagome had to step quickly aside as Sesshomaru rushed pasted her to see his mate.

She giggled as she saw her pup and reached for him. She brought him into her embrace as she held him against her chest and purred at having her son with her. She turned to her mate and said, "I want to see the castle healer. I think we need to set a few things straight here before we return to the Western Lands. It seems that everyone here has a problem with half breeds and I want to fix it."

The look on Kagome face told her mate that he should follow her incase she winds up having too much fun thrashing someone. He looked at his father and his father sighed as he followed the both of them to the healer section of the castle.

When they arrived they asked to see the main healer of the castle. The looks that Kagome got was enough to set her blood boiling as she turned to her father-in-law and said, "Could you hold the pup and keep him safe for me?"

Inutaisho took his grandson and tucked him into his shirt. He knew that Kagome was about to put some discipline in the healer section of the castle and he was going to enjoy this. He saw his son sigh as he followed his mate to the main healers office. They knocked on the door and waited as they heard a "Come in."

Kagome stepped into the office and saw a demon sitting behind his desk that didn't even get up to greet his guest. "Yes, what can I help you with?" Said the healer in a monotone voice that showed no desire in wanting to help them.

Kagome stepped forward and said, "I want to see the delivery room. I want to make sure that you have everything I will need when I deliver Jinx's pup."

The healer never looked up as he said, "My facilities are not for half breeds. She can have her pup somewhere else."

This was the wrong thing to say to Kagome as her eyes flashed red. She moved with such speed that her own mate had not seen her move as she had the healer by his throat and up against the wall.

For the first time the healer looked at the person that had him pinned and noticed that it was a half-breed just like the Lords mate. His eyes flashed in anger as he said, "Release me you fucking half breed! How dare you even touch me?"

Kagome growled as she said, "Now that I have your attention. I am a healer and it's a healer's job to take care of everyone. Be it human, demon, animal or half-breeds. That half breed that you keep on talking about is the mate to the lord of this castle, are you going to tell me that you are going to kill an innocent pup?"

The healer didn't know what to do. This female was strong. Stronger than any other half-breed he had ever met. When he didn't answer her Kagome started to squeeze his neck even more as she brought up her other hand and it started to glow pink. The demons eyes went wide with understanding; this fucking half-breed was a miko.

"Now you are going to answer my question or will I purify your ass right here and now for the traitor you are to your profession." She said with a growl.

He looked behind her and saw two demons standing there looking at them as he said, "Help me, she's crazy!"

Inuyasha turned an eyebrow up as he said, "Why are you asking us for help? My mate has a point. You are a traitor to your profession and I think she should purify your ass. If she doesn't want to do it then I will purify it for her." When he was done speaking his hand started to glow pink as he summoned his purifying powers and the healers eyes grew big.

The healer finally gave in and said, "No I will not let an innocent pup die."

Kagome stepped back as she released the healer and he fell to the ground on his butt. She smiled as she said, "Do you even know who I am?"

The healer looked up and said, "No."

Kagome smiled and said, "Well now let me introduce myself. I'm Princess Kagome and this is my mate Prince Inuyasha and his father Lord Inutaisho, Lord Sesshomaru's father."

The healer's eyes went wide as he heard their names. He had made a big mistake as he got up off the floor and said, "I'm sorry My Lady. Please accept my apologies."

"I think it's a little too late for that. You have already shown your true colors and things are going to change around here. Its demons like you that make it hard for everyone to live in peace. I don't know how I missed you in my purifying wave that I sent out over the land. I should send out another one to get rid of your kind." Said Kagome with malice as she watched the demon healer in front of her.

"If it pleases my Lady I will show you the delivery room." Said the healer in a subdued voice. He knew that if anyone could make that threat real it was this bitch in front of him. He had heard about her and he knew that she was a very powerful half-breed.

They were taken and shown all over the healer's section of the castle. One of the healers made the mistake of calling Kagome and Inuyasha half-breeds and she purified them on the spot. The whole castle got to see the kind of powers she really had.

They left about an hour later satisfied that they had everything to her liking when Jinx gave birth. They went down to the dining hall and got something to eat. Once she was done she excused herself to go feed the pup and take care of his needs.

Inutaisho and Inuyasha watched as Kagome left with the pup. They were amazed at the way she handled herself and only lost control once but they had to admit that if Kagome didn't kill that arrogant demon Inutaisho would have. They now knew why Jinx refused to have them touch her and the problem going around the castle.

They continued to eat their dessert as a frantic Sesshomaru came running into the dining hall looking for Kagome. Jinx was in pain and she needed help. They all rushed out of the dining hall. Sesshomaru went to be with his mate as Inuyasha rushed to get his mate from their room.

Kagome was getting done with her son when her mate came running into the room and said, "Kagome, Jinx is having the pup."

Kagome looked up from what she was doing and she hurried to get done with her pup. She told her mate to have Sesshomaru take his mate to the room they had prepared down in the healer section of the castle that she will be right down.

Inuyasha quickly left the room as he went to his brother's room and told him what Kagome had said. Their father went with Sesshomaru to show him the room that Kagome was talking about.

Inuyasha went back to their room so he could help Kagome with the pup. When they were done they went down to the healers section of the castle as she went into the room and kicked everyone out while she delivered the pup.

Sesshomaru was beside himself as he continued to pace the hallways aggravating his brother to death. He was about to thrash him when they heard the sound of a pup crying as they stopped and listened.

Kagome came out a few minutes later with a big smile on her face. "Jinx is doing fine. Congratulations Sesshomaru you have a daughter."

Sesshomaru was shocked to hear that he had a daughter as he rushed in to be with his mate.

Kagome had a big smile on her face as she went towards her mate.

Inuyasha seeing this asked, "Why are you smiling like that?"

Kagome giggled and said, "His daughter has beautiful puppy ears just… like… you!" She reached up and started to scratch his ear as he started to purr with delight.

Sesshomaru walked in to see his mate lying in bed with a little bundle in her arms. He approached very slowly as his mate opened her eyes to greet him. She smiled at her mate as he came closer to her. He could tell that she was weak as she said, "Sesshy, we have a daughter." As she slowly started to unwrap the pup that she held in her arms for him to see.

Sesshomaru eyes went wide as he saw his daughter for the very first time. She was the most perfect pup he had ever seen. She was small and very delicate just like her mother. She had silver hair with a hint of blue tint in it. She had one almost invisible stripe on each side of her cheek that he knew you would be able to see when she got older.

She had a crescent moon on her forehead to match her mothers and two cute little dog-ears on top of her head that were covered with fluffy white fur. To him she was the most beautiful pup in the world and he was proud that she was his daughter.

He leaned down and sniffed her as he took in her scent. He will forever remember it in his mind. He looked at his mate as he kissed in thanks for having his pup.

Jinx looked at her mate once he had pulled away from her and said, "Sesshy please take me back to our room. I don't want to stay down here."

Sesshomaru gave in to her request as he picked her up in his arms along with the pup and took them back up to their room.

Inuyasha, Kagome and Inutaisho watched as Sesshomaru took his mate up to their room and they smiled. They could tell that Sesshomaru was happy about his daughter, puppy ears and all.

oOo

The days passed and they all stayed in the Eastern Lands until Jinx got stronger and was finally out of bed and moving around.

Sesshomaru had informed them that he was holding court that day and he was going to present his daughter as heir to the Eastern Lands.

Inuyasha heard this and thought to his mate. 'Kagome, I don't think that is such a good idea. The way these people are in this castle they might try to hurt the pup.'

Kagome smiled and thought, 'don't worry mate. Jinx will protect her daughter. She just needs to establish order in the Eastern Lands that's all.'

Inuyasha looked at his mate in surprise. There was something going on that he had no clue about and he was about to find out.

Everyone gathered for the court to be held as Kagome and Inuyasha along with his father stood by Sesshomaru's chair and waited for him to appear with his mate and daughter.

Kagome was keeping her senses open for any danger that might present itself as she heard all of the remarks about half-breeds being mentioned in the crowd. Her eyes started to flash red as her anger grew.

Inuyasha seeing his mate getting upset at everything being said put his arm around her waist and brought her closer to him and said in her ear, "Koishii, please calm down don't let what these fools say get on your nerves. I'm pretty sure that my brother will take care of this."

Kagome heard his words and started to calm down. Her eyes returned to normal as he held her close to him to keep her that way. She started to think, Sesshomaru should have been able to stop this a long time ago but he was oblivious to the situation. She was deep in thought when she finally got it. She started to concentrate her powers on the castle as she started to break the spell that was cast.

When she was done she had broken the spell on the castle that prevented Sesshomaru from hearing what they were saying and she put a spell on the castle to prevent anyone from ever doing it again. 'Now let see how they fair when Sesshomaru finally hears what they are saying.'

Sesshomaru and Jinx came into the grand audience room with Jinx carrying their pup. A hush went out through the room as they entered and took their places in front. Sesshomaru was about to speak when he caught what his people were saying about his mate. He didn't know they could be so bold as to insult his mate with him right in front of them.

He cleared his throat as he called several people to step forward as he faced the ones who were bold enough to insult his mate. Jinx was watching closely to see what he was going to do. She knew they were the one's making the remarks about her and she didn't think her mate had heard them, he had never heard them before.

Sesshomaru cleared his throat as he said, "Now what was the remark you said about my mate?"

He saw them cower in front of him as they paled in color. They didn't think that he had heard them. The castle had a spell on it that prevented him from hearing any derogatory remarks made against his mate. It was for her sake that they were saying it to so she would leave.

They looked off to the side and saw another half-breed that had a big smile on her face, as she looked at them. Full understanding of that smile came to them, as their eyes grew wide with understanding. This half-breed had managed to break the spell on the castle.

"We have no idea what you are referring to my lord. We said nothing about your mate." Said one of the demons that were shaking in fear. They knew they were going to die.

Sesshomaru growled as he said, "I heard you call my mate a half breed. You know the penalty for using those words in my kingdom. It was written into law sometime ago and still you defy it." Sesshomaru lashed out with his green whip as he made quick work of the demons in front of him.

He looked at the rest of his court and said, "Are there anymore of you who would like to use those words in my presence?" The room got deathly quit as no one said a word.

Jinx got up from her chair as she approached her mate and gave him their daughter. She turned and called for the two female youkai that had insulted her and she was about to put them all in their place.

The females came forward as they bowed in her presence. Jinx got a look from her mate as she looked at him and then stepped down from her place at his side.

She approached the two bitches and said, "So you think of me as a half breed and not worthy of ruling the Eastern Lands. You think that my mate could've done better by taking one of you as a mate.

Well let me tell you something. Sesshomaru is my mate and I rule with him. If you have a problem with it then take it up with me. I don't need my mate to defend my honor I can do that myself, if you two think you can take me on."

Jinx eyed both of them as they looked at her mate. Jinx turned towards him and said, "Do not interfere, I want to handle these two on my own. I owe them the beating of their lives."

She saw her mate agree to her terms as she turned her attention back to the two in front of her and said, "Choose your weapon."

Both female demons smirked as they pulled their sword from their sheath and took a fighting stance against her. Jinx smiled as she saw the weapon of choice. She pulled her sword from its sheath as it grew in length. She had the satisfaction of seeing them take a step back as she brought her sword forward to attack position.

The demons attacked without mercy as Jinx blocked both of their attacks. She was moving faster than them as they continued to fight. Jinx was actually enjoying herself as she saw the demons try to take her down but they couldn't.

Jinx heard her pup start to move and fuss as she decided to end this little show. She caught their sword with one swing of her sword as she knocked them out of their hands. She pointed her sword toward the offending youkai as she released its attack.

A purifying beam came out as it killed the demons in front of her. Never again will they ever put her down because she was a half-breed. "Now, does anyone else have any problems with me being mated to Lord Sesshomaru?" She looked around the room and no one move a muscle. She smirked as she turned around and went towards her mate as she grabbed the pup from him to quite her down.

Sesshomaru was impressed his mate she was really good with a sword and he didn't even know that her sword could do that. He had only seen the single beam of light that would come out of the blade and the big giant disk that she liked to call her pancake squash.

He turned his attention back to the business at hand before the pup needed to be feed and said, "I asked you all here today to introduce you all to my heir. But first I want to introduce my father Lord Inutaisho of the Western Lands. My brother Inuyasha and his mate Princess Kagome of the Southern Lands, and last but not least my daughter. Grace Lee heir to the Eastern Lands."

Everyone gasped when they heard that Princess Kagome of the Southern Lands had mated with Sesshomaru's brother. The stories they heard about his brother were enough to instill fear in their hearts and that he was very protective of his mate. They saw a strong family standing in front of them and knew that their way of thinking was wrong if they wanted to continue to live.

Later that day after the court was done. Kagome, Inuyasha and Inutaisho said their good byes to Sesshomaru, Jinx and especially Grace Lee. They promised to always be close and keep in touch.

To Sesshomaru's surprise he saw his brother summoned his transportation cloud as they all got on and started to head back toward the Western Lands. 'Hmm, maybe the next time Inuyasha comes and visits we can have a race to see whose cloud is faster.' Thought his brother as they looked at their retreating form.

oOo

The months turned into years as peace was finally felt though out all of the lands. Kagome and Inuyasha finally ruled both the Western and Southern lands together and peace was the driving force in their rein.

They were good rulers that listen to their people be it demon or human.

The Northern Lands had fell into place once they had released all of the demon slaves. Most of them left the Northern Territories because of the way they were treated. They settled in the Eastern or Western Lands and lived peaceful happy lives there.

The north had to find a new source of income since they couldn't sell slaves anymore. King Higurashi kept a close eye on the Northern Lands to make sure they never went back on their treaty.

He had asked Inuyasha for two representatives from the Western Lands to serve as counsel to the East, West, and Southern Lands. Inuyasha saw fit to send Mike and Shawn to be representatives to the west at his mate's request. Both demons had proven themselves to be strong and were very loyal to the west. They would make sure that the north obeyed the treaty or they would suffer their wrath.

Inutaisho lived on as he semi retired to give his son a chance to rule so he could enjoy all of his grand children. He loved them all and would do anything for all of them. He spent his time going between the Eastern and Western Lands as he spent time with them. But by far the one's he enjoyed the most were all of Kagome and Inuyasha's children.

Kagome and Inuyasha wanted a big family and so they had one. Kagome feeling the need to gain back the pups she had lost during the battle to free the slaves continued to have pups. She had 10 children of her own and the one's that were left orphaned during the battles or they came from the processing facilities. She raised them all in a loving home while she still tended to the need of her subjects.

She still healed all those who needed her and several of her sons and daughters followed in her footsteps. They had built a big hospital to help all those who needed help. No one was ever turned away because of what they were. They all received the same loving care afforded to everyone and they all lived in peace.

oOo

Kagome and Inuyasha were standing at the top of the castle overlooking the land. The sun was setting over the horizon as the sky was painted with all of the beautiful colors of the rainbow.

Inuyasha turned to Kagome and asked, "Are you happy Koishii?"

Kagome smiled as she hugged her mate and replied, "Yes Koi, it is everything that I ever wanted. To be loved and live in peace for the rest of my life."

Inuyasha reached down and kissed his mate as the sun continued to go down over the horizon. Their kingdoms finally united as one as they lived their lives in peace.

oOo

This is the end to our story. I wanted to thank everyone that has read and left a review for this story. For my loyal fans you have been great. You kept me going when I was about to delete this story from the site because of a select few. I finished this story for you and I did it my way.

This story was made as a tribute to a loving friend who died back in February 2005. His memory will always live on as people continue to read this story. Mike loved anime and he loved the Inuyasha anime the most. He was an avid collector of it. I will miss him but he will remain in my heart forever.

As for me continuing to post my stories on my sites I have not decided as of yet. I will be taking a break for a while to get my thoughts and life back together again. If you get an email saying I'm posting again then you will have your answer. But if I decide never to post again then I thank all those who reviewed from the bottom of my heart.

You guys have been great! Your kind words inspired me to continue on with this story even though it was hard at times. There will not be a sequel to any of my stories. So for all of you that continue to send me emails to write one forget it.

Will I ever stop writing my stories? No, I will never quit writing my stories. It's my only enjoyment and it relaxes me from a hard day at work. Will I post them? That remains to be seen. I have heard from a lot of you out there that want to continue to read my stories. I will see. But first I'm taking a break to do some hard thinking on what I want to do.

Again thank you for your time. Until we meet again!

Cindy

Jinx: Hey! What do you mean your not going to post any more stories?

Cindy: Just like I said I don't know if I will ever post more stories.

Inuyasha: HEY! You just can't stop writing about Kagome and me what is everyone, which have been reading your stories, going to do? And how about that new one you're writing?

Cindy: Inuyasha! That story is mine and no one will read it! And if your not careful I will delete your ass.

Inuyasha: Feh! Touchy writers!

Jinx: OOOOO you have a new story?

Cindy: Sigh; yes I have a new story. I will always have new stories.

Jinx: Good! That means that you will post the new one soon.

Cindy: No, that doesn't mean that I will post any more stories. They're mine just like before. No one every read my stories until you talked me into posting them on these sites.

Jinx: Yeah, but they are so good though.

Cindy: I'm not listening! Walks away from Jinx with finger in ears

Jinx: Grrrrrrr damnit! Evil laughter I will get her to post her stories again!


End file.
